As the world continues to be shaken by conflicts both new and old, the fighting in Ukraine shows no sign of ending. The instability has now spread throughout the country, with the public healthcare system and infrastructure on the brink of catastrophe. What was initially a crisis confined to those territories has now spread to the whole of Europe and beyond, with direct and indirect consequences affecting people and communities worldwide.
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Attacks spare nothing, with hospitals, schools and orphanages, energy infrastructure and businesses all being targeted by heavy assaults. In addition, residential areas, shelters and other critical infrastructure are also not exempt from continuous fire, causing death and devastation.
The figures provided are not mere numbers but reflect the intensity of a crisis that is mainly affecting a civilian population. To date, 14.6 million people are in need medical assistance and 11.1 million require food and nutritional supplies, another 11 million are living without water and sanitation, while 4.4 million people are in need of economic support. In total, more than 21.8 million Ukrainian people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, and the numbers will likely double as winter approaches.
As of October 2023, more than 6 million Ukrainian refugees worldwide have been registered, of which nearly 5 million are internally displaced people in Ukraine. Poland is hosting the largest number of refugees, nearly 60% of the total.
Older individuals and those with disabilities are especially at risk and might not have the capacity and opportunity to escape from areas of heightened danger. Moreover, women and children, making up around 90% of those displaced by the crisis, face the peril of experiencing gender-based violence and being subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse.
We have already explored in this blog the global ripple and consequences of the war in Ukraine, resulting in increased food prices and fuel while disrupting the general, consolidated, global supply chain, specifically for those countries already in dire need of humanitarian support.
MOAS response in Ukraine
Since the beginning of the conflict, MOAS has been providing emergency first responder services on the frontline, ensuring prompt medical assistance and aid to the most affected communities impacted by the escalation of violence.
MOAS’ mission in Ukraine comprises of 50 ambulances, individually equipped with the required different specifications and capabilities to best respond to the specific needs of each context. The vehicles are equipped with medical and pharmaceutical supplies as well as state-of-the-art equipment, enabling our teams to deliver both basic and advanced life support, essential treatments, along with additional extensive medical procedures as required.
Moreover, MOAS through the use of the Mobile Medical Unit, provides Primary Health services to support local communities. The vehicle is seconded to MOAS by the Ronald McDonald House Charity (Latvia) for the duration of the mission in the country and is run in partnership with MHP Gromadi and the Oksana Dmytriieva Charitable Foundation.
Thanks to our highly skilled teams of 150 doctors and paramedics, MOAS this year has already succeeded in treating roughly 30.000 people on the front line and over 21.000 in communities cut off from medical infrastructure (in 2022 over 5.000 people, and so far in 2023 over 16.000).
The Power of Giving
As anticipated in our previous blog, considering our Giving Tuesday campaign (28th of November), we shed light on the importance and the impact of cooperation and donation on people’s lives. Contributing to MOAS means keeping our life-saving missions running and reaching more affected communities.
Only with your support, we can continue our life-saving work in Ukraine. By donating to MOAS, you can help us provide the essential medical care desperately needed by the population and make a real difference to those who need it the most.
If you are interested in the work of MOAS and our partners, please follow us on social media, sign up for our newsletter and share our content. You can also reach out to us at any time via [email protected]. If you want to support our operations, please give what you can at www.moas.eu/donate.
