Helping people in Ukraine and those who are seeking refuge in neighboring countries
DONATE NowThe Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 unleashed a major humanitarian crisis in Europe. People in the Ukraine are in need of essential provisions including water, food, medicine, shelter, etc.
The numbers change from day to day. What remains consistent is that millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes - and millions more have been forced to flee their homeland since the Russian invasion began. While the majority fled to Poland, tens of thousands fled to other neighboring countries, including Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova.
Photos of the humanitarian response of IAFR partners
When we began, the priority need was for vehicles in Ukraine to help transport assistance to vulnerable people.
Then the most pressing need became food. The vehicles we helped provide were soon transporting food into conflict zones. When the vehicles dropped their load, they filled with people needing to evacuate to safety.
As winter approached, the priority need shifted to help people survive the cold. So we helped buy and transport generators and wood burning stoves.
At the request of church leaders in Ukraine, we prioritized assisting Ukrainian pastors and their families through the winter as many lacked the ability to heat their homes and pay their electricity bills. In November 2022, hundreds were forced to leave their homes and communities for this reason.
The need to strengthen hope and provide safe and supportive community is something that only the local churches can do, so tit was critical to help pastors with this need so that they can stay to serve the people in their communities.
Now in May 2023, Christian leaders in Ukraine are telling us that the highest priority need is to help the churches care for widows and the fatherless in the country. Their number has greatly increased due to the war. As our point person at our partner church in Slovakia told me, "The losses are very, very, big."
The generosity of our financial partners has been remarkable as we work together to help people survive and recover from the humanitarian disaster in Ukraine.
Our goal is to send at least another $10,000 of assistance by August 2023 to assist church-based ministries in Ukraine that are helping widows and the fatherless.
UPDATE!
A financial partner contributed $5,000 this month! That means we have already more than met our goal! That is so encouraging!
Of course, the need is great and we welcome ongoing donations to assist the people of Ukraine in this way.
We are thankful to our generous financial partners as we have provided over $190,000 of assistance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In May 2023, we sent over $6,600 of assistance to our church partner in Slovakia to support churched based ministries helping widows and the fatherless.
In December 2022, we sent $22,500 of assistance to our church partner in Slovakia to help Ukrainian pastors (and their families) stay in their communities by assisting them with costs related to heating and power.
In October 2022, we sent $10,000 to our church partner in Slovakia to get food and other basic assistance to vulnerable people in Ukraine.
In August 2022, we sent $12,425 to our church partner in Slovakia. This was in response to the churches' update: "We are in a process of organizing the help to refugees in at least three places close to front line in the east of Ukraine."
We also sent 1 month's food supply in August for 270 IDP in the care of an alliance of ministries in a Ukrainian city in the far west.
In July 2022, we financed a delivery of 2 tons of food to a ministry in Kharkiv. One ton was sent from a Ukrainian seminary that serves as a relief staging point. The other was sent in from Slovakia.
We also funded 5 tons of a 10 ton transport of food that will be distributed to "the hottest war places". Vehicles funded by IAFR were used for distribution.
In May 2022, we enabled our partners to send 22 kilotons of relief supplies for people in Kremenchuk, Cherkassy, and Kharkiv.
IAFR helped buy a used vehicle to help a local church ministry in Selydove. In the words of the local pastor, "The issue of a larger transport became acute, because an old small car became insufficient for the effective ministry in the frontline zone during the war. The need for migrants’ transportation and humanitarian and other goods delivery became urgent."
We have helped fund at least 5 dependable used vehicles to help with the distribution of relief and the evacuation of people from conflict zones.
Funds have provided shelter, meals, clothing, transportation, and other kinds of practical assistance. Showers, toilets, and washing machines have been installed to help those sheltering uprooted Ukrainians meet these basic needs.
We are focusing our efforts on helping local churches in Ukraine respond to the crisis in the region. Their important work is often not on the radar of international agencies.
Together with a church in Kosice, Slovakia, we are listening to church leaders in Ukraine as they inform us of critical needs on the ground.
Updated: 19 May 2023
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