Ukraine: Gerry Turner says people still need help

‘The need for assistance is still as great.’

On my way into the centre of Prague, I see from the bus window a sign painted in block letters half-a-metre high: PUTIN MURDERS CHILDREN. The truth behind the slogan had been confirmed that same morning by the news that Russian missiles had once more claimed the lives of children after a drone attack on the centre of Kharkiv. But children and other civilians have been dying since the first moments of the invasion. UN reports spoke of 1,300 civilian deaths in Mariupol during the three months of the siege.

The effects of the invasion were felt almost immediately in the countries neighbouring Ukraine. When the wave of refugees arrived in Prague, Quakers decided to offer their library and accommodation space to a family that had fled from Zaporizhzhia.

In March 2022, Friends House Moscow contacted the Central European Gathering of Quakers (now Central European Yearly Meeting), offering financial assistance. This gave rise to the Funding for Ukraine Group (FUG), which is made up of representatives of Quakers in Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Georgia, together with Cathy Butler and Michael Eccles, who represent the Europe and Middle East Section (EMES) of Friends World Committee for Consultation. The formation of the group was announced on the EMES website and contributions started to arrive from around Europe, as well as from the United States.

The group sought chiefly to give assistance in cases that were outside the mainstream and less likely to be funded by public or major funding bodies. Therapy for refugee children traumatised by the war, and also for disabled refugee children in Poland, were among the first projects.

More than fourteen million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, and nearly 6.5 million are now living outside the country as refugees. Over 382,000 Ukrainians have fled to Czechia since the war started, and each week around 1,300 Ukrainian refugees continue to arrive. The situation is similar throughout central and eastern Europe, including Estonia, where Quakers have been organising support for the Tallinn Refugee Centre.

FUG has tried to help those internally displaced in Ukraine, who number as many as 3.7 million. It has made several donations to the Czech People in Need foundation, whose ‘SOS Ukraine’ has experienced teams of volunteers. After the bombing of the Nova Kakhovka dam, they were able to provide water.

As the war enters its third year, the need for assistance is still as great. British Friends have made generous contributions. Please continue to hold the people of Ukraine in the light and consider making a donation.

See https://fwccemes.org/news/quaker-support-for-ukraine to donate.

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