Caring for Ukranians as Winter Sets In
Through more than 40 airlifts—the vast majority of which were carried out through our DC-8 cargo jet—Samaritan’s Purse has transported hundreds of tons of relief items, including our Emergency Field Hospitals, medical supplies, food, and hygiene kits. We continue to bring in new shipments of supplies nearly every other week and are working in close partnership with churches in Ukraine to get these items to communities where the need is urgent.
Specifically, through our Medical Airlift Programme, we have transported more than 740 pallets of medical supplies to more than 115 hospitals throughout Ukraine to assist in resupplying the local, strained health system. We are also training local healthcare professionals in burn care, intensive care unit services, and infection prevention and control. To date, we have provided this training to more than 6,100 individuals.
We’ve also operated Emergency Field Hospitals in Lviv and a recently liberated area of Ukraine. These have since been turned over to the Ministry of Health for continued care of the Ukrainian people. Through our combined medical facilities, Samaritan’s Purse staff have treated more than 23,500 patients since the conflict began.
Meeting people’s medical needs.
Franklin Graham said, “We are so thankful for our network of churches and Christian partners we work with to deliver the food and other relief supplies to people in the areas that need it most, including dangerous areas close to the front lines.”
In areas impacted by violence, we have provided over 15 water systems that, together with newly constructed freshwater wells, are supplying more than 38 million litres of clean water for suffering families where water and other infrastructure were destroyed. We are also helping to restore homes in Ukraine that have been partially destroyed in the ongoing conflict, allowing locals to return to their communities.
“Ukrainian families are hurting and in desperate need of prayer and support as millions flee for their lives,” said Franklin Graham. “We want to meet the needs of these families in their darkest moments while pointing them to the light and hope of Jesus Christ.”
Pastor Anatoly, a member of a Samaritan’s Purse church partner, is one of the many faithful believers actively involved in moving food and other critical supplies throughout Ukraine.
In June, Samaritan’s Purse concluded its operation in Moldova where we were able to care for thousands of people through food distributions, medical care, and by providing desperately needed items such as mattresses, blankets and hygiene supplies.
Samaritan’s Purse has a partner network of more than 3,000 churches in Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova. As conflict erupted, we were in the process of distributing 600,000 Operation Christmas Child gift-filled shoeboxes in Ukraine, and another 400,000 shoebox gifts will be delivered there during the next year.
Thousands of backpacks were sent to children in Ukraine
Over the past months, we’ve sent thousands of children’s backpacks to Ukraine aboard our DC-8 aircraft. Included inside are a soft bear that says “God Loves You” in their language on the front, plus crayons, a sketch pad, a knit hat, a ball, and a booklet in Ukrainian that tells them God loves them.
More than 7 million refugees from Ukraine have spread across Europe, the United States, Canada, and other countries worldwide. Aiding this migration, Samaritan’s Purse has airlifted more than 260 people from Poland to Canada with our DC-8 aircraft. Many millions are also internally displaced due to the conflict.
In June, Samaritan’s Purse concluded its operation in Moldova where we were able to care for thousands of people through food distributions, medical care, and by providing desperately needed items such as mattresses, blankets and hygiene supplies.
“Please join me in praying for the people of Ukraine and for this conflict to end quickly.”
Franklin Graham
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