Religions for Peace’s Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund Supports Crisis Response to Displaced People in Ukraine by Malteser International Order of Malta Worldwide Relief

Religions for Peace’s Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund Supports Crisis Response to Displaced People in Ukraine by Malteser International Order of Malta Worldwide Relief

Malteser International, a grantee of the third phase of the Religions for Peace Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund (MRHF), is a worldwide humanitarian relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta dedicated to providing rapid relief and services to Internally Displaced Peoples and Refugees irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or political persuasion. With a longstanding presence and grassroots efforts in Ukraine and neighbouring countries since the 1990s, including a long-standing collaboration with Malteser Ukraine and Malteser Germany to provide warm meals in nation-wide soup kitchens, Malteser International was able to provide an immediate humanitarian response at the start of the conflict in Ukraine.

In nearly ten months, the Russo-Ukrainian war has devastated thousands of homes and crucial infrastructure, leaving millions of civilians without access to food, water, and other essential supplies. In September 2022, Malteser International estimated that approximately 17.7 million people needed basic supplies and services, including shelter, psychosocial support (e.g. 13,000 sessions of in person, telephone, and virtual counseling were provided in the first 6 months of the war), and reliable health facilities (see, War in Ukraine: Your donation helps! | Malteser International). Inaddition, the declaration of ‘Martial Law’ in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts has further limited access to basic supplies and services, and restricted the movement of civilians living in these areas (see https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/).

Despite the volatile situation, humanitarian organisations have successfully delivered aid to approximately 13.4 million people across the then invaded regions of Donetsk, Kherson Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts and the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, Malteser International has maintained an active presence on the front line, and the Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund of Religions for Peace partially funded its humanitarian efforts.

Such efforts include the procurement of relief items and the acceptance and coordination of in-kind donations, which have enabled the setup and management of accommodation of refugees, as well as the provision of health and psychosocial support. Specific provisions include 365,000 hot meals distributed at train stations and border crossings, and 190 emergency shelters supplied with relief goods. Additionally, improved specialised medical services provided immediate life-saving support to people with disabilities resulting from amputations.  The establishment of training programmes encouraged the collaboration of the community with qualified medical professionals, including psychologists and psychotherapists and the Malteser International psychological support programme,  launched in 2015, was expanded across all of Ukraine; 13,300 psychosocial support counseling sessions have taken place since the war began, including sessions for children.

With winter months approaching and temperatures predicted to reach -20 degrees Celsius, millions of people in Ukraine will live ‘under threat’ the World Health Organisation warned. Ukrainians will live, without sufficient insulation and access to basic supplies and services. While the Ukrainian government in is working with the United Nations and other humanitarian partners to address the needs of the people, Malteser International continues to support the people of Ukraine, recovery and rehabilitation processes.