ReliefWeb

The international development agency, Christian Aid, will spend £8m on vital supplies over the next six months to help the Ukrainian people.

The money comes from donations to DEC, the Disasters Emergency Committee, that has raised more than £300m for Ukraine. That’s around £3 on average donated by every person in the UK.

Michael Mosselmans, Christian Aid Head of Humanitarian, said:

“Amidst all the carnage of war, it always fills me with hope when I see how people - like in previous emergencies around the world - support their neighbours, communities and complete strangers.”

Through its local partners, Christian Aid has already provided medical supplies, first aid kits, baby incubators as well as food and shelter for refugees in Ukraine and Hungary.

Christian Aid and its partners are now rapidly expanding their capacity and will focus on sustaining community-led initiatives because local people know what’s most important for their own situation.

For example, helping people like Olga – a former dance teacher in her mid-20s who has become one of Christian Aid’s “accidental humanitarians” by pausing her previous life to help mothers and children in a community shelter.

Michael Mosselmans, Christian Aid Head of Humanitarian, continued:

“The protection of vulnerable displaced people is central to humanitarian action and this response is no different. To this end, Christian Aid’s local partner has distributed 5,000 SIM cards so that families can keep in touch and set up safe zones at train stations to ensure women and children are not exploited by predatory gangs of people traffickers.

“Many challenges remain. The latest assault by Russian forces might mean another surge of refugees and displaced people heading west. It’s not just the risk from Russian attacks but also navigating Ukraine’s martial law and getting humanitarian aid licences.”

ENDS