International Assistance in Ukraine and neighbouring countries
Why we are on site
The full-scale war against Ukraine has brought destruction and suffering to millions of people. More than 14 million Ukrainians who remained or returned are in need of assistance. Some 7.9 million have fled the country (source: UNHCR) and three million are internally displaced.
In many places, especially in the east and south of the country, basic services are no longer guaranteed. Many people live without reliable water, gas or electricity supplies. The war is also taking an enormous psychological toll on the Ukrainian people and the staff of local aid organisations. Neighbouring countries such as Poland, Romania and the tiny Republic of Moldova have taken in and cared for many refugees.
The war is also having a serious global impact: Ukraine was considered the breadbasket for global grain exports. As a result of the shortage and the resulting rise in prices, there is a risk of famine, particularly in African countries, due to the loss of grain production.
Emergency aid after the start of the war
We were able to distribute the first aid parcels in the city of Poltava immediately after the fighting began, followed by more than 58 lorries with around 700 tonnes of aid within the first two months. Working with local businesses, local partners and St John Ambulance was crucial to the success of the relief effort in the first few weeks. While the initial focus was on food, nappies, blankets for the late winter and toiletries, medical supplies and medicines were increasingly included. From storage and distribution centres in Heidenau, Saxony, and via partner organisation Tasuleasa Social in Bistritz, Romania, supplies were continuously delivered to more than 40 health facilities.
Emergency aid at the front line
Three years after the start of the full-scale war, emergency aid is essential for those who have stayed behind and those who have returned. That is why the employees of the Johanniter partners are travelling to the villages and towns along the front line in the south and east every day to support the people. They bring food, hygiene products, batteries, lamps, insulation material, roof shingles, firewood, coal and blankets.
Protection for women
Together with our partners, we support five women's shelters near Kiev and in western Ukraine, where mothers and their children who have experienced violence within or outside the family can find refuge. In the shelters, which are run by Johanniter's partner organisation ELEOS, the women receive psychological, social and legal support from experts in order to find a new perspective for their future.
Project "Road of Hope"
Road of Hope' is the name of a project organised with our partner ELEOS. The local organisation's staff bring people from the Ukrainian border regions to safety. People from Sumy, Kharkiv and Donetsk are affected. Evacuation orders have been issued for 183 settlements in the Sumy region. That's more than 20,000 people, including 2,500 children,' says ELEOS. They are to be accommodated in safer areas outside Sumy or in the regional capital itself. People are also being helped with their arrival and integration, with food and hygiene parcels or vouchers for medicines and administrative support.