Crisis Response: Convoy of Hope Team Members on the Ground in Eastern Europe

This following is a chronology of Convoy of Hope’s response to the crisis in Ukraine:

March 4

Convoy of Hope’s team members and partners across Europe are busy resourcing, transporting and distributing much-needed supplies—including food, water, hygiene items and other essentials—to refugees across the region. Multiple partners have also facilitated shelter for people in need of a safe, warm place to stay.

“We heard the first bombing when we were at work,” Valia said, through a translator, while she held her one-year-old grandson, Artem. “At that moment, everybody stopped working and we were rushing home. Every hour we heard air raid sirens. We could hear the planes flying over our houses.”

Valia fled Ukraine with her grandson, whom she held tightly while speaking with a team member. Her mother, father, sister and other family members stayed behind. Her sister is a nurse and has spent the past several days taking care of wounded Ukrainians. Valia calls family members every morning just to hear their voices and make sure they are still alive.

“It’s hard for people to decide if they should stay,” she said. “At this moment, I’m not really afraid for my life, but I’m afraid for my grandson’s life. … It’s very hard for him.”

After hurriedly packing the basics and leaving for the Polish-Ukrainian border, Valia said that she was relieved to see people willing to help refugees. “We are safe, we are warm, and I am so grateful to God that volunteers dedicate their time and open their hearts. It’s wonderful,” she said.

More than 1.2 million refugees—primarily women and children—join Valia in similarly heartbreaking situations. Refugees have left family members behind. Children are exhausted and confused. Parents have attempted to veil their dismay and comfort their children.

“People start crying spontaneously,” one of Convoy’s team members in Poland said. “Everyone is staying strong, but the stress and sorrow break through in unexpected moments.”

Bombings intensified as the first week of the war came to a close. Russian military forces seized Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. Many Ukrainians attempting to escape the constant threat of violence squeezed into crowded trains, without checking to see where the train was headed.

March 3

A team from Convoy of Hope’s headquarters, now in Warsaw, Poland, is currently working to provide help for displaced Ukrainians. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than half of all Ukrainians recently displaced have traveled to Poland for safety.

Photos from central Warsaw show thousands of refugees huddled in train and bus stations. Many others ventured out into the cold to look for shelter, food and other resources. Here are a few photos from our team in the field.

Thanks to your support, Convoy will continue providing hope to Ukrainian refugees. To support this response and others like it, click here.

A response team from Convoy of Hope’s global headquarters is now on the ground in Poland. Within minutes of arriving, the team witnessed thousands of refugees—primarily women and children—dragging luggage and seeking shelter. Simple needs, such as electricity for charging phones and the ability to stay warm, are incredibly difficult to find. Many children seem dazed.

More than a million people have fled Ukraine since the war began just seven days ago. At least half have settled in Poland, while others have taken shelter in countries like Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova. Convoy of Hope is providing emergency relief with the help of partners in multiple European countries.

“I have worked in refugee emergencies for almost 40 years, and rarely have I seen an exodus as rapid as this one,” Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a statement earlier today. “Hour by hour, minute by minute, more people are fleeing the terrifying reality of violence. Countless [others] have been displaced inside the country. Unless there is an immediate end to the conflict, millions more are likely to be forced to flee Ukraine.”

“At this rate, the situation is set to become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century,” UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo told The Kyiv Independent.

Military clashes and bombing runs have continued throughout Ukraine, causing widespread damage and forcing many to create makeshift camps in subway tunnels. Each day, more displaced Ukrainians pack up what belongings they can carry and flee to bordering countries.

The Russian military has begun to target strategic ports in Ukraine. Phone service and electricity have become scarce in the port city of Mariupol, where the lack of connectivity complicates medical relief efforts for Ukraine’s emergency response organizations.

Many areas are facing food and water shortages, forcing even more Ukrainians to seek shelter and basic essentials across national borders.

Each day, as more refugees are uprooted and forced to rely on the kindness of others for safety and necessities, Convoy of Hope continues providing hope and emergency relief. {eoa}

For more of what Convoy of Hope has done and is doing for Ukrainians, click here. To support this response and others like it, click here.

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