We are following with shock and horror the terrible events in Ukraine. The return of war to the European continent after decades of peace, and the failure to secure a diplomatic resolution to the conflict are deeply disturbing. The disregard for international law which led to the invasion has begun a tragic humanitarian crisis. Innocent civilians are paying the highest price – many have been killed and injured and tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes. While we continue to hope for a return to peace and diplomacy, we know that there are urgent needs on the ground.  

To our prayers for all those affected, we are adding practical help. The international family of which St John is part is working on the ground in Ukraine to deliver humanitarian and medical assistance to everyone who needs it. While St John does not have a national organisation in the Ukraine or its neighbours, our sister organisations The Johanniter and The Order of Malta are there, providing vital help on the ground.

Johanniter International Assistance, together with the German Ukraine Forum, has already distributed 2,600 relief packs with necessary items like sugar, flour, rice, oil and personal hygiene articles in the south Ukrainian city of Poltawa. Poltawa is home to 300,000 people and has been surrounded by the Russian army. Other Johanniter organisations in neighbouring Hungary and Poland are preparing a humanitarian response focussed on providing help for refugees crossing the border.

In the Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk with a population of a 240,000, Malteser Ukraine has started to provide displaced people with tents, cots, blankets and food, as well as providing medical and psychological care. The Order of Malta associations and relief services in the states bordering Ukraine including Poland, Romania, and Hungary, have already sent their staff to the border and are providing much-needed assistance to refugees, distributing food, water and providing medical assistance.

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If you would like to help, please send your donation to either:

Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V., BIC: BFSWDE33XXX, IBAN: DE94 3702 0500 0433 0433 00, Reference: Ukraine

Malteser International:, BIC: GENODED1PAX, IBAN: DE74 37060193 00020202 70, Reference: Ukraine

28 February 2022