Peace Winds’ Support for Ukraine: One Year Later
On February 24, Ukraine marked one year since Russia’s invasion, and Peace Winds staff remain working from the office in Kyiv to provide support. “Everyone is trying to get back to their normal lives here,” they say. “Work, family, friends. The people of Ukraine have lost a lot in the past year. At first glance, it almost seems like life is going on as usual, but no one here is unharmed.”
Peace Winds’ Support Activities
On February 26, 2022, Peace Winds dispatched staff to Poland, and on March 8, additional staff arrived in Moldova. Peace Winds remains in the region and is expanding support to the public.
Support Activities in Ukraine
In Ukraine, Peace Winds has provided medical supplies to hospitals, evacuation support from the battlefields of the eastern region, mental health support, shelter support, and pet food for displaced Ukrainians with pets. Peace Winds is also supporting the reopening of hospitals, kindergartens, and schools. Aid includes:
・Donations of cold weather supplies including coats and blankets
・Infrastructure support for hospitals and schools under attack
・Support for restoring kindergarten facilities and programs
・Evacuation support for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and people with disabilities in Ukraine
・Livelihood support after evacuation (maintenance of shelters, food, sanitary goods, LED lanterns, mental health, legal aid, etc.)
・Donations of medical supplies to hospitals and clinics in Ukraine (CT equipment, gas chromatography, ultrasound equipment, patient monitors, generators, defibrillators, medicines, etc.)
Support Activities in Moldova
Peace Winds has also opened an office in Chișinău, Moldova’s capital, where staff members remain stationed. Aid in Moldova over the last year has largely consisted of everyday necessities (including food and water, hygiene items, and pet supplies), educational support for refugee children, and medical support at a temporary clinic.
From April to September 2022, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists provided complementary medical care and prescriptions at the temporary clinic set up in the Chișinău Municipal Evacuation Center. Peace Winds found that extreme hypertension was a common symptom in many of the patients seen close to the beginning of the invasion in 2022, demonstrating the stress the war has had on the bodies and minds of Ukrainians.
Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, evacuees showed Peace Winds staff members photos of their homes that had been destroyed, and many broke down in tears in the exam room. Gradually, this has become less common, and more and more people complain about difficulties in their current lives, such as financial hardships.
Dr. Nagashima of the Peace Winds’ airborne search and medical team, ARROWS, has provided medical care in Moldova and is currently involved in projects to support Ukraine. He commented on the changes in the Ukrainian people over the past year, saying:
“We have adapted to this environment in Ukraine. Air raid sirens sound every day here, but some people do not evacuate. We have lived with the possibility of evacuation 24 hours a day, and we have to ignore the risks. The number of people complaining of anxiety has decreased, but I think that’s because they’re trying to keep their minds off of the life-threatening concerns.”
There is still no end in sight for the war in Ukraine. Those who have evacuated are still uncertain when they will be able to return to their hometowns. Peace Winds will remain on the ground providing support to Ukrainians until peace returns to the region. We thank you for your continued support.
