Stage 3 of relief aid (updated on 26 JAN 2023)
During wars, even if people can avoid gunfire, they cannot escape the piercing cold of winter. The Russia-Ukrainian war lasted for more than 11 months, and the country’s power and water supply facilities were attacked. According to numbers provided by CEDAR’s partner, 40% of the country’s energy facilities were destroyed, and the time needed for repairs also increased during the war, leaving the Ukrainian people to face sub-zero temperatures in the winter with a shortage of electricity and water.
The partner mentioned that the situation was heart-wrenching: some elderly people were found frozen to death in their beds. In addition to the cold, the Ukrainian people also had to face the spread of infectious diseases, water shortages, and food shortages during this winter.
On the other hand, during the war, Ukrainian people have been displaced and even if some residents in certain areas can return home towns or cities, they have no home to go back to or their houses are damaged. For example, in Irpin, a city in the suburbs of Kyiv, the partner shared that 4,000 families have lost their homes or are living in damaged houses. In addition to the physical hardships, people who have experienced the war also need psychological support.
Therefore, CEAAR is providing assistance in the third phase. This phase of assistance involves two projects. The first project is mainly to solve the housing needs of residents in Irpin, provide food and other materials, and provide psychological support, with a budget of HK$510,250 and an estimated number of 1,450 people to be assisted. The second project is to provide funding to residents in seven regions in northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine to provide warm materials, hoping to help them through the harsh winter. This project has a budget of HK$157,000, and the estimated number of direct beneficiaries is 140,800 people.
Project details
In the Irpin city outskirts of Kyiv:
- House repairs: replacing windows and doors, and repairing roofs and walls for 50 families.
- Temporary accommodation: purchasing 20 temporary houses which are provided to families whose homes were severely damaged.
- Psychological support: providing psychological counselling once a week for 200 people.
- Provision of food and other supplies: providing two large containers of supplies, benefiting 1,450 people.
In the northern, eastern and southern regions of Ukraine:
- Distribution of food: distributing Instant chicken soup with noodles, meat, energy bars, bread and canned pork.
- Distribution of other supplies: distributing shampoo, sanitary pads, toothbrushes, blankets, generators, portable stoves, clothes, shoes, sleeping bags, portable chemical toilets and solar lights.
Stage 2 of relief aid (updated on 12 May 2022)
The Russo-Ukrainian War has been going on for over two months. The UN reported on 11 May that as of 10 May, the number of deaths and injuries in Ukraine reached 7,256 (3,496 deaths and 3,760 injuries). Over 5.9 million people had fled the country, mainly to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
When the war began, CEDAR Fund funded around HK$240,000 to a partner to support refugees at the borders of Poland and Ukraine. But unfortunately, the war hasn’t yet ceased, and the refugees’ needs are of great urgency.
Therefore, we funded another HK$780,000 to support another partner organisation to provide aid for refugees in Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia. Besides supporting refugees outside the country, this project also supports the displaced population within the country, who are also facing difficulties in finding food and a shortage of medicine and medical equipment.
Project details
Poland and Slovakia:
- Helping refugees find accommodation, acquiring governmental support for refugees, setting up an information hotline, providing financial aid, supporting families accommodating refugees and developing educational work to integrate refugees into local communities.
Ukraine:
- Distributing food and other materials and cash, providing psychological support, and giving medicines and medical materials to four clinics or hospitals.
Stage 1 of relief aid
On 24 February 2022, Russia officially launched a military operation against Ukraine, initially from the north, east and south, and since then, the war has spread across the country. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 3.5 million people have fled their homes since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and more than 2,000 people have been killed or injured since late March (figures on 21 March). In addition, a large number of civilian facilities in the country have been damaged, resulting in water and electricity outages. Hospital services face constant power cuts, and people have to face the threat of both war and the pandemic.
Since the beginning of the war, large numbers of civilians have been moving west to neighbouring countries, with Poland hosting the largest number of refugees. According to figures released by UNHCR, as of 21 March, the country received more than two million refugees, while major cities such as Warsaw and Krakow began to reach the limit of capacity and need to divert the flow of refugees.
On 1 March, CEDAR’s partner arrived at the Polish and Ukrainian borders to provide humanitarian supplies, health services, and psychological and counselling support to the refugees. In Poland, our partner also supports the families who receive the refugees, such as distributing necessities, setting up information counters in reception centres, providing services to Ukrainians who have fled to the country, and providing financial assistance.
CEDAR has decided to allocate approximately HK$240,000 to support our partner in providing medical assistance to the people who have fled. We call everyone to pray for a safe evacuation from the war zones and that the Lord will help the various agencies to start their rescue work as soon as possible.
Project details
- CEDAR’s partner will provide blankets, warm clothing, daily hygienic supplies, emotional support, financial assistance and information centres to refugees at the Ukrainian border and in Poland.
Banner Photo: © Jana Čavojská
Donation Method
(Please specify: Assistance to Ukrainian Refugees)
After donation, please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque, bank-in slip or screenshot of successful payment along with your name, contact phone number and mailing address to us via mail, email or WhatsApp.
Address: CEDAR Fund, G.P.O. Box 3212, Hong Kong
Email: sharing@cedarfund.org
WhatsApp (for donation matters only): 5160 7549
- CEDAR is an approved charitable institution and trust of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please visit Inland Revenue Department website for details.
- CEDAR Fund will issue a receipt for a donation of HK$100 or above for tax deduction. For a donation of less than HK$100, please get in touch with us to issue a receipt.
- Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
If the donation exceeds the above mentioned allocation of funds, the excess amount will be transferred to CEDAR’s ‘Emergency Relief and Disaster Preparedness Fund’. The fund will enable us to respond to immediate needs, and support disaster mitigation in poor nations always being hit by disasters to reduce the amount of devastation.