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John —
No windows. Damaged walls. Houses with no roofs to shelter families and no power to heat them as temperatures are dropping way below zero.
This is the reality facing families in Ukraine right now. In some areas, people don't have access to food, water, heat or electricity.
I recently returned from Ukraine where I met with families who are receiving aid from the International Rescue Committee. Some of them live among rubble. Some are afraid to fall asleep at night, as their children hear sirens in addition to lullabies. Some were afraid they would be forced to move again, unable to fix their homes before the winter hits.
The situation they're facing is growing more dire as the winter and conflict worsens — the fighting has escalated at the same time that temperatures have begun to fall. What I saw is heartbreaking and makes me worried for what's to come.
John, we need about 170 more donors to step up before midnight to keep us on track to meet our goal for families in need this winter. Can you rush an emergency donation — that will be 2X-matched by a generous donor — to help us provide children and families with the heat and warmth they
need in Ukraine and crisis zones worldwide this winter?Â
The IRC is focusing our assistance in Ukraine in the areas that are most heavily affected by the conflict — and where the temperatures are dropping to the lowest. We are providing cash, health and legal services, as well as distributing winter kits to people who cannot access warm blankets or fuel stoves. We are also providing people with plywood and other materials to patch up the broken windows and walls. We are running safe spaces for women and children, where they can recover from everything they have witnessed over the past few months.
In areas where the fighting is most intense, much of Ukraine's civilian infrastructure has been destroyed. Millions of people require humanitarian assistance in order to prepare for the cold winter ahead — and to begin to rebuild what they've lost.
I hope you'll consider making a gift today to support our humanitarian response by sending light and warmth to families in Ukraine and other conflict zones worldwide. It's because of supporters like you that we can help people recover and rebuild their lives amidst conflict.
I'll be sure to keep you updated on the situation on the ground, provide insights into our emergency and long-term response efforts, as well as stories of the people I meet along the way.
— Joanna Nahorska, IRC Ukraine Response
P.S. Attached below are just a few pictures my team has taken in Kharkiv, Ukraine, where we are distributing winter supplies to families in need and will be doing so for as long as we're needed.
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Little Eva and her mom at their home in Kharkiv, Ukraine, about 15 miles from the Russian border. They currently live without electricity and heating but have received winter kits and registered for financial aid from the IRC.
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Denys and his mom, Natalia, received winter kits and registered for financial aid with the IRC.
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A residential home in Kharkiv, Ukraine. These houses were severely damaged as a result of a recent shelling.
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A child's toy lies among the remains after a bombing in one of Kharkiv's residential areas.
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