Providing Basic Necessities and Medical Care to Ukraine’s Refugees
Shortly after Russian forces began attacking Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Peace Winds dispatched staff from Japan to Poland and Moldova where refugees are still being welcomed. Now, Peace Winds remains active in western Ukraine and has begun a program to support internally displaced persons living in Lviv. This includes providing food kits, hygiene kits, mental health counseling, legal advice, and basic medical supplies to shelters and the Ukrainians living there. Peace Winds is working with our local partner, Right to Protection, a Ukrainian NGO, to visit facilities in Lviv, assess their needs, and procure the necessary supplies.
In cities outside of Ukraine like Chișinău, Moldova, Peace Winds staff members have delivered pillows, sheets, groceries, diapers, and laundry detergent to shelters serving hundreds of refugees each day. Additionally, many Ukrainians are arriving in need of treatments for allergic reactions, injuries during evacuation, and many other health concerns. To help address these needs, Peace Winds established a temporary medical clinic in Moldova. The impact of the war in Ukraine on refugees’ mental health goes without saying, and Peace Winds is glad to bring some stability to both their mental and physical health. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are stationed at the clinic who provide care to refugees facing medical problems, while the emotional connection between the staff and patients has been important to overall improved sense of well-being.
In addition to meeting the needs of Ukraine’s human evacuees, Peace Winds’ Peace Wanko project (Japanese for “Peace Doggy”) is providing aid to Ukraine’s animals by assisting refugees who flee to Japan with their pets. Funds are used to provide basic necessities for the animals as well as to cover the cost of the mandatory quarantine period for pets who come to Japan according to rabies prevention laws.
Head to the Peace Winds blog to learn more about what our staff members are doing to assist the people of Ukraine.
