A statement from Matthew Carter, Group CEO of Depaul International, on the current situation in Ukraine:
“Like you, we have been shocked and appalled by news reports of the terrible human rights abuses in Bucha and Irpyn this week, and the utter devastation of areas so many people once called home. Countless families have now been living in crowded bomb shelters for six long weeks. In the hardest hit areas, people are unable to buy even the most basic of supplies as shops and pharmacies remain closed. The people of Ukraine have never needed our help more.
In addition to our work in Kharkiv and Odesa, we are now delivering aid to Kyiv and distributing it in Bucha, Irpyn, Chernihiv and Kyiv, to those most affected by the war. Thanks to the generosity of people like you, we have now been able to deliver over 80 tonnes of food and medical supplies to those who need it most. Our goal now is to increase to 100 tonnes per week, if funds and capacity allow. Watch this space.
Following a meeting in Slovakia last week, we have put in place a new governance, management structure, and staffing model, so that we can continue to ramp up our response. We will continue to deliver emergency food aid to the hardest hit areas, as well as much needed hygiene supplies and medical equipment to hospitals and health practitioners. Our teams, already highly skilled at supporting people who have experienced trauma and protecting the most vulnerable, will also be increasing our safeguarding and trauma response activities to help meet the ever-growing need.
We remain in awe of the hard work and dedication of our friends and colleagues in Ukraine, who today wrote of their appreciation for those helping the response efforts, ‘In our difficult times, humanity and compassion save us from the terrible war’. How right they are. We have been very humbled by the humanity and compassion shown by all those who have donated to our Ukraine appeal so far. None of the above would have been possible without the generosity of people like you – your support means more to us than you can know.
Our prayers are with the people of Ukraine and we hope that a peaceful solution will be found to end the terrible suffering. People have regularly said to me, ‘Our dreams and the dreams of our children have been taken away’. I just pray that one day soon, people can once again dream.
If you have not yet made a donation, but are able to do so, please donate today.”
