Thousands of Ukrainians are now receiving vital help

Mission East has received DKK 8.5 million for Ukraine from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and can now help 30,000 war-affected Ukrainians.

Mission East has just received DKK 8.5 million from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for emergency aid in Ukraine and at the country’s border with Poland and Hungary. Together with Mission East’s own fundraiser, 30,000 Ukrainians can now receive vital help. Among other things, they get shelter and receive cash, hygiene items and mental first aid.

– With the grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we can give extra impetus to our vital emergency aid to the thousands of Ukrainian families trapped in a meaningless war. Mission East is currently focusing on ensuring survival and basic emergency assistance for thousands of people on the run or trapped in the war both inside Ukraine and in the border countries, says Mission East Secretary General Betina Gollander-Jensen.

The help is provided through two organizations that are locally present: Medair and Hungarian Baptist Aid (HBAid). The latter is a local church organization working in both Ukraine and Hungary. Medair is an international organization which, in addition to Ukraine, is present in Poland. Both are already in full swing helping refugees fleeing across the border from Ukraine to the two countries.

The UN reports that 1 million Ukrainians have now fled their country. 12 million people in the country are in need of relief and protection right now. And 4 million Ukrainians need help in neighboring countries in the coming months.

Mission East is collecting for refugees in Ukraine’s border areas, and thousands of DKK are flowing into the organization’s crisis emergency fund. Thus, the organization was able to quickly send DKK 50,000 to HBAid’s relief work at the border between Ukraine and Hungary.

The help primarily meets urgent needs such as shelter, food and hygiene items. Next, health checks, medication and mental first aid, so-called psychosocial support.

Mission East collaborates with Medair and HBAid through the two church networks Integral Alliance and EUCORD. Mission East collaborated with Medair to help earthquake victims in Nepal in 2015. The two organizations have since assisted each other in emergency relief efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon.

Medair specializes in providing shelter, hygiene items, water and sanitation. HBAid is currently assisting internally displaced persons inside Ukraine and has at the same time set up reception centers on the border with Hungary, where they distribute food and provide health care as needed.