According to the United Nations (UN), more than 2 million people have already fled Ukraine. These are mainly women and children who were forced to leave their homes and families. Nearly 3 million people in Eastern Ukraine are currently dependent on humanitarian aid. The current escalation led to mass migration towards the neighboring countries of Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, and Moldova.
ADRA Europe expresses its profound concern for the people affected by the conflict in Ukraine. Together with other agencies, ADRA continues to respond to their needs, supporting those fleeing from war. With the involvement of hundreds of Adventist volunteers, ADRA's teams currently provide humanitarian support in Ukraine, neighboring countries, and host communities.
Here are some of the activities the national ADRA Teams are performing under the coordination of ADRA Europe:
In Austria, ADRA runs two welcome centers—one in Vienna, receiving 20 refugees every afternoon. At the center, they can eat, sleep, take a shower, and wash up, along with receiving basic information on how to proceed, where to register, and how to use public transport. ADRA further supports two other welcome centers linked to Adventist churches in the cities of Linz and Mistelbach. ADRA is financially supporting the Bogenhofen primary school, which has enrolled six Adventist and Christian Ukrainian refugee kids. ADRA has also pledged US$45,000 in support to the network project in Ukraine.
In Bulgaria, since the beginning of the crisis, ADRA has started fundraising activities and collecting food, sanitary products, and medicines. ADRA Bulgaria collaborates with ADRA Romania and, so far, has delivered about six tons of goods to Ukraine. The Bulgarian government established a crisis center in Varna, which accommodates about 1,000 refugees, and ADRA volunteers are on the ground, supplying necessities.
An ADRA Croatia team member is acting at the Croatia/Ukraine border, working at the refugee center. There, he provides psychosocial support and translation and helps with organizing accommodation for displaced persons. In the refugee centres in Varaždinske Toplice, Gospić, and Osijek, ADRA is implementing workshops for children and women through a network of volunteers, as well as other services possibly needed by the refugees (e.g., transport to other towns for medical exams or physical activities). Financial donations are collected through regular appeals on Facebook. Hygiene packages are collected for distribution. ADRA is collecting funds to purchase a van for transporting donations to Ukraine.
ADRA Czech Republic is currently focusing on three ways to support people affected by the war in Ukraine: through helping internally displaced Ukrainian citizens in Zakarpatska Oblast by supplying them with food, medical equipment, and other goods; through supporting families at the SK/UA border in collaboration with ADRA Ukraine; and through helping migrants seek refuge in the Czech Republic. ADRA volunteer centers are focusing on local support within regional centers for help and assistance to Ukraine, coordinating volunteers who offer food and drink to people in need and help them with navigation, as well as providing psychosocial support. ADRA has also started to purchase medical material to be transported to Ukraine, specifically, defibrillators, emergency tourniquets, bandages, and other desperately needed medical equipment.
ADRA Germany is financially supporting transport of refugees from Ukrainian borders and establishing a network in Germany for the support of refugees. ADRA organizes accommodation through an online form and the Ukrainian and Russian language telephone hotline. All accommodating parts receive a guiding handout with minimal requirements and protection measures. In addition, ADRA offers financial assistance until state support takes effect. Simultaneously, ADRA is preparing long-term projects.
ADRA Hungary is running four settlements, providing food and hygiene kits for the refugees. It organizes the transportation of mattresses, blankets, bedclothes, electric devices, food, hygiene products, and medicine to Western Ukraine. ADRA also manages a food distribution activity two times per week in the Budapest main railway station.
ADRA Italia is giving economic support to some of the ADRA network's projects in Ukraine and Romania. ADRA also started a census to collect data for families willing to host refugees among Adventist church members. Nine refugees have already been accommodated. Some Ukrainian families have been accommodated in church apartments and structures. The Municipality of Trevignano (Rome) has requested the collaboration of the ADRA local branch for the supply of food for the structure Casa del fanciullo, in which, in the coming weeks, about 30 Ukrainian refugees will be hosted. The local ADRA volunteers coordinate one or two trips a week to the food bank in order to find the necessary food to offer as the three main meals for the guests of the structure. ADRA is also sending basic necessities to Ukraine and surrounding areas.
In Poland, ADRA is cooperating with the Adventist Church to help as many refugees as possible. The Adventist Church in Poland counts 5,000 people. Many churches and church members have opened their doors to refugees, providing a total of about 1,000 beds. ADRA supports the church shelters with necessary equipment and financial help to ensure at least 500 beds will be available per night. ADRA Poland also sponsors buses into Ukraine. The buses are loaded with emergency help and also bring refugees back into Poland.
In Slovakia, the transit center on the border was, by the order of the government, moved 34 km inside the country, in a place called Michalovce. There, ADRA is operating a tent where refugees are transferred to other places. ADRA is also preparing aid in the form of food and NFI packages for Ukraine.
In Slovenia, ADRA is collecting medical sanitation materials to be sorted and distributed to Ukrainian hospitals in cooperation with the Medical Chamber. ADRA is also offering transit accommodation, transportation assistance for refugees, and fundraising to support Ukraine and neighboring countries.
This article was originally published on the Inter-European Division’s news site