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News Civil Society Humanitarian/Medical

More than $30M pledged by Canadians – Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Update

April 9, 2022. Thanks to the generosity of individuals, organizations and businesses, the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal is pleased to announce that $30 million in donations have been pledged across Canada. This includes more than 55,000 donations from large corporations, community fundraising events and individual donors.

“With almost $10M in aid delivered and committed, we know that the scale of Russia’s violent war on Ukraine will mean the need to support Ukraine for many months and years,” said Orest Sklierenko, President of the Canada Ukraine Foundation. “The Ukrainian Canadian community will be there to provide support and deliver much-needed aid to help with the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War 2.”

For 27 years the Canada Ukraine Foundation has been working to support humanitarian projects in Ukraine. Many stakeholders and donors have entrusted CUF with their support, and CUF will continue to evaluate the needs on the ground and deliver support when and where it is required, taking care to assess the impact of each provision of aid prior to using the same channel again.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has also delivered aid to Ukrainian displaced persons in Romania and Moldova. CUF is working with more than a dozen organizations and projects to help alleviate the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since WWII.

The following article by Marco Levytsky was published April 7 in New Pathway Ukrainian News https://newpathway.ca/cuf-helps-evacuate-2500-deaf-ukrainians/

CUF helps evacuate 2500 deaf Ukrainians

Some 2500 deaf Ukrainians have been evacuated to safety thanks to the generosity of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

Transportation has been by bus, train, and private vehicles, and some of the deaf citizens from eastern Ukraine have been moved to deaf centres and schools in Western Ukraine. Humanitarian aid is also being used for food, water, and life necessities.

CUF funds are also supporting countless others staying in the country, and cover the crucial sign language interpreting services, says Debra Russell, former President of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters and member of the Alberta Stands with Ukraine group.

Sign language interpreters have largely stayed in Ukraine and were volunteering until we were able to support them. The government updates are interpreted, as well interpreting is happening at hospitals, government offices for people to secure papers required to leave, in deaf centres where people go for the latest updates on the war.


Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca  or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4).

For further information: [email protected].

Background

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) is working with Ukrainian government ministries, who are in the best position to advise on the needs on the ground so that we can ensure that the donations we receive meet the needs of the Ukrainian people. The appeal will work with established partners on the ground who have demonstrated the ability to deliver aid in a timely and effective manner.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Committee is established jointly by the two organizations to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The committee will work with the Ukrainian Canadian community across Canada to reduce duplication of effort, increase efficiency and ensure aid efforts have the most effective impact for Ukrainian citizens affected by the crisis.

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Humanitarian/Medical Civil Society News

Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal facilitated the airlift of five pediatric cancer patients to the Hospital for Sick Children

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (UHA) facilitated the airlift of five pediatric cancer patients to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto last month, as part of the UHA’s ongoing programs to address the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the war in Ukraine.

The five children were flown to Canada in two separate airlifts that were sponsored by UHA and cost just under half a million dollars for the specialized airplanes with proper medical equipment and healthcare professionals on board. The Toronto-based charity Meagan’s Hug sponsored the accommodations for the children and their families, and the Canada Ukraine Foundation financially supported the transport of the children, their families and medical personnel from Europe to Canada. SickKids is covering the medical costs.

The children in Canada were forced to flee from Ukraine where they had been receiving treatment. Between February 24 and April 3, 2022, there were 85 attacks on health care in Ukraine impacting 71 facilities, according to the World Health Organization’s surveillance system, resulting in 73 deaths and 46 injuries. In Ukraine, 1,442 children under the age of 14 were diagnosed with cancer in 2020. In 2019, 446 children died from cancer in Ukraine, according to Global Health Burden data and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Background

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (UHA) was established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) in response to the war in Ukraine. Working with governmental and non-governmental partners in North America and Europe, UHA’s humanitarian efforts are focused on the delivery of food, shelter and medicines, and addressing the needs of the millions of refugees and victims of war. Click here to support the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal or visit us on the web: http://cufoundation.ca

Cheque can be sent to the CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4).For further information, email: [email protected]

Canada-Ukraine Foundation is a federally-registered charity (BN: 898992151RR0001)

Categories
Civil Society Humanitarian/Medical News

Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal delivers food aid to refugees: One month of supplies for 20,000 refugees

As part of ongoing relief efforts, the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has paid for the production and delivery of 20,000 meal kits for refugees.The boxes were assembled in Dembicia, Poland, on the premises of Meest Corporation. The food contents were sourced locally, with boxes containing porridge, pasta, beans, canned meat, sunflower oil, sugar, iodized salt, oatmeal sardines, rice and black tea. With more than 57,000 calories per box, each provides 47 days of sustenance for a single person. These boxes are being delivered to the Lviv Train Station, Dzherelo, Ivano-Frankivsk.

The UHA is collaborating with multiple NGO’s in trying to meet the food needs of Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. CUF’s assistance has delivered food to Eastern Ukraine where Ukraine has been hardest hit! Those needs are expected to climb, as Russian military aggression continues to cause the greatest humanitarian crisis Europe has seen since the end of the Second World War.

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4).

For further information: [email protected]

Categories
News Civil Society Humanitarian/Medical

CUF Works with Partners to Alleviate Humanitarian Crisis – Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Update

April 2, 2022. OTTAWA/TORONTO, ON.  Since Russia launched a full-out assault on Ukraine on February 24, millions in aid has been delivered to some of the hardest-hit cities in the north, east and south of Ukraine.  We are withholding more specific information due to security concerns.

The Humanitarian Appeal has also delivered aid to Ukrainian displaced persons in Romania and Moldova. CUF is working with more than a dozen organizations and projects to help alleviate the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since WWII.

In the coming weeks, CUF/UCC will continue to share information about the organizations, programs, and projects that your generous donations are supporting.

Together with Meest, CUF has started delivery of 400 Tons of food or 20,000 food boxes. For example, the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal recently delivered food to the Ivano-Frankivsk Food Kitchen and 500 food kits to Dzherelo Children’s Rehabilitation Centre. Dzherelo provides quality, family-centered, educational and rehabilitation services for children and youth and children at risk in Ukraine, and currently is providing shelter to displaced persons with disabilities. Find out more about the delivery by clicking on the picture below: 

As Russia continues its vicious assault on Ukrainian civilians, indiscriminately shelling and bombing Ukrainian cities, the need for humanitarian aid grows every day.

Please donate to the appeal today to support millions of Ukrainian families who have been displaced from their homes. #HelpUkraineNow

Your donation is needed to help support this important project!

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca  or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4).

For further information: [email protected].

Background

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) is working with Ukrainian government ministries, who are in the best position to advise on the needs on the ground so that we can ensure that the donations we receive meet the needs of the Ukrainian people. The appeal will work with established partners on the ground who have demonstrated the ability to deliver aid in a timely and effective manner.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Committee is established jointly by the two organizations to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The committee will work with the Ukrainian Canadian community across Canada to reduce duplication of effort, increase efficiency and ensure aid efforts have the most effective impact for Ukrainian citizens affected by the crisis.

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4). For further information: [email protected]

Categories
Civil Society Humanitarian/Medical News

Over $6 million in aid delivered – Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Update

Over $6 million in humanitarian aid and support has now been delivered to the Ukrainian people by the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation & Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Over $1 million in support has been delivered in the last week.

Since Russia launched a full-out assault on Ukraine on February 24, aid has been delivered to some of the hardest-hit cities in the north, east, and south of Ukraine. We are withholding more specific information due to security concerns.

The Humanitarian Appeal has also delivered aid to Ukrainian displaced persons in Romania and Moldova. CUF is working with more than a dozen organizations and projects to help alleviate the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since WWII.

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing information about the organizations, programs, and projects that your generous donations are supporting. HelpAge International is actively engaging with refugees in Moldova and working in Ukraine delivering food, medicine, and hygiene to older people, their families, and communities.

Ekaterina, from Voznesensk, Ukraine, who has sought refuge in Moldova, is one of the people whom HelpAge is assisting.

You can read her story here.

As Russia continues its vicious assault on Ukrainian civilians, indiscriminately shelling and bombing Ukrainian cities, the need for humanitarian aid grows every day.

Please donate to the appeal today to support millions of Ukrainian families who have been displaced from their homes. #HelpUkraineNow

Your donation is needed to help support this important project!

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by cheque to: 620 Spadina Ave, Suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4

For further information: [email protected]


Background

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) is working with Ukrainian government ministries, who are in the best position to advise on the needs on the ground so that we can ensure that the donations we receive meet the needs of the Ukrainian people. The appeal will work with established partners on the ground who have demonstrated the ability to deliver aid in a timely and effective manner.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Committee is established jointly by the two organizations to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The committee will work with the Ukrainian Canadian community across Canada to reduce duplication of effort, increase efficiency and ensure aid efforts have the most effective impact for Ukrainian citizens affected by the crisis.

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4).

For further information: [email protected]

Categories
News Civil Society Humanitarian/Medical

The World Federation of the Deaf and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation Appeal to Support Deaf Refugees and the Deaf Community of Ukraine 

The World Federation of the Deaf and the Canada Ukraine Foundation call on all of their members to support deaf people from Ukraine who have been affected by Russian Federation’s military invasion of Ukraine.

This unprovoked war against Ukraine represents an unprecedented violation of international law, the principles underlying the world’s democratic order and a brutal violation of basic human rights.

Daily attacks by Russian rockets and tanks against peaceful residential areas, hospitals and schools have damaged Ukraine deaf institutions and caused many from the deaf community to flee to neighbouring countries to protect their lives and the futures of their families. Hundreds of deaf people have escaped to become refugees in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and other European countries. The Ukrainian Society of the Deaf estimates that over 1,000 of the 38,000 deaf people in Ukraine have already fled to neighboring countries, and onward throughout Europe and to Canada. 

The World Federation of the Deaf and the Canada Ukraine Foundation call upon its members and supporters to:

  • Issue their own statements calling on Russia to stop the war immediately
  • Provide humanitarian aid to the deaf community in Ukraine and to deaf refugees (e.g. safety, housing, food, financial aid and social support) through representative national organizations of deaf people in each country. 
  • Inform and educate the citizens of their own countries in their national languages (spoken and signed languages) about the negative impact of this war by means of local communication through mass and social media 
  • Donate to support joint aid efforts aimed at deaf people in Ukraine and deaf refugees from Ukraine

Support any actions, decisions and positions made by the United Nations in regard to this conflict.

Categories
Civil Society Humanitarian/Medical News

UWC Сalls Upon International NGOs to Set Up Operations in Ukraine

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation has been delivering emergency humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the first week of the horrific Russian attacks on the people of Ukraine. We wholeheartedly support UWC’s call to the scores of international aid and refugee organizations to make good on their word to their donors and also provide aid in Ukraine directly.

The Ukrainian World Congress calls upon all International Aid and Refugee NGOs including UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF, and the ICRC to urgently establish operations inside Ukraine to aid persons affected by the Russian War in Ukraine.

“There are millions of displaced persons inside Ukraine, many of them are lacking their basic needs like food, heat, shelter, schools for the children. Despite Ukrainian volunteers who are trying to help those people they still need urgent assistance from the international community,” stated UWC President Paul Grod.

“There is another tragedy happening inside Ukraine: women and children who are in fact forced to leave its territory because there is no support system for internally displaced persons. This is part of Putin’s plan to ethnically cleanse Ukraine of the Ukrainian people,” Grod continued. “We urgently call upon all aid organizations to show their bravery, as the Ukrainian people are, and set up operations inside Ukraine,” Grod concluded.

The UNHCR, the ICRC, UNICEF, IOM and other international NGOs must begin providing humanitarian aid immediately within the borders of Ukraine and provide displaced Ukrainians with their basic needs before they leave the country and become refugees. The Ukrainian World Congress stands ready to assist these NGOs in logistics and in any other way if required.

The UWC President thanked the international NGOs for their devoted work in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania and other countries with Ukrainian refugees and for facilitating humanitarian and medical response for those, who fled Ukraine because of Russian invasion.

According to the UN statistics, almost three million Ukrainians have fled Ukraine so far. However, surveys show that most Ukrainians would have wanted to stay inside Ukraine and they don’t want to leave. Internally displaced Ukrainians are also exposed to the additional risk of human trafficking.


Please donate to the appeal today to support millions of Ukrainian families who have been displaced from their homes.#HelpUkraineNow


Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca  

For further information: [email protected]

Background

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) is working with Ukrainian government ministries, who are in the best position to advise on the needs on the ground so that we can ensure that the donations we receive meet the needs of the Ukrainian people. The appeal will work with established partners on the ground who have demonstrated the ability to deliver aid in a timely and effective manner. 

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Committee is established jointly by the two organizations to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The committee will work with the Ukrainian Canadian community across Canada to reduce duplication of effort, increase efficiency and ensure aid efforts have the most effective impact for Ukrainian citizens affected by the crisis. 

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4). For further information: [email protected]

Categories
Humanitarian/Medical Civil Society News

Over $5M of aid delivered to Ukraine – Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Update

The CUF/UCC Humanitarian Appeal has already delivered multiple tranches of aid to affected populations in all corners of Ukraine, including some of the hardest hit cities in the north, east and south of the country. Our support also extends to affected families who have made their way across the border into neighbouring countries such as Romania and Moldova, as well as providing food for internally displaced families from across Ukraine who find themselves in Lviv and surrounding areas.

To date, over $5 million CAD in aid has been delivered. Subsequent tranches of support will follow in coming days and weeks as we monitor and confirm prior deliveries of support and assess the evolving needs together with partners on the ground. We are withholding more specific information due to security concerns.

CUF has also lent its expertise in helping to coordinate the collection and delivery of various medicine and medical supply shipments for a range of community initiatives across Canada.

As Russia continues its vicious assault on Ukrainian civilians, indiscriminately shelling and bombing Ukrainian cities, the need for humanitarian aid grows every day. 

Please donate to the appeal today to support millions of Ukrainian families who have been displaced from their homes.

#HelpUkraineNow

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca  or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4).

For further information: [email protected].

Background

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) is working with Ukrainian government ministries, who are in the best position to advise on the needs on the ground so that we can ensure that the donations we receive meet the needs of the Ukrainian people. The appeal will work with established partners on the ground who have demonstrated the ability to deliver aid in a timely and effective manner.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Committee is established jointly by the two organizations to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The committee will work with the Ukrainian Canadian community across Canada to reduce duplication of effort, increase efficiency and ensure aid efforts have the most effective impact for Ukrainian citizens affected by the crisis.

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4). For further information: [email protected]

Categories
News Civil Society Humanitarian/Medical

Report from the UN OCHA on the Situation in Ukraine

Here is a link to the most recent report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affair (UN OCHA) on the situation in Ukraine.

Ukraine | OCHA (unocha.org)

Please donate to the appeal today to support millions of Ukrainian families who have been displaced from their homes.

#HelpUkraineNow

Your donation is needed to help support this important project!

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca  or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4).

For further information: [email protected].

Categories
Civil Society Humanitarian/Medical News

NATO’s Flawed Logic in Denying Ukraine the Assistance it Needs

Written By: Bohdan Romaniuk, VP Alberta, Canada-Ukraine Foundation

First, a basic truth. The only way to stop the ongoing murder in Ukraine is by intervening with physical force. Resolutions of condemnation and economic penalties are unlikely to have any effect.


It is therefore shocking to observe far more agreement within NATO on the red lines it will not cross in assisting Ukraine against Russian aggression, than on the red lines it will not allow Vladimir Putin to cross in his campaign against the people of Ukraine. Indeed, to date, not one world leader has had the courage to answer the following question: How many Ukrainian civilians must be murdered before any of the 141 countries signing the UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will take immediate, concrete steps to stop the slaughter?

The world’s leaders it seems, are becoming increasingly inured to the heartrending cascade of pleas from Ukraine — every minute of every day — for assistance in stopping the relentless, merciless and criminal bombing of its civilian population. NATO, for its part, remains steadfast in its refusal to place “boots on the ground” (and pilots in the air) to prevent Putin’s ongoing annihilation of Ukraine. This, however, misapprehends Ukraine’s fundamental request. It is not for allied soldiers to fight alongside Ukraine’s military. Rather, it is a plea for the weapons and equipment Ukraine needs to neutralize Russia’s air superiority, such as fighter jets, anti-aircraft missile systems and drones.

NATO is concerned that any escalation in the assistance it provides to Ukraine may lead to World War Three and an all-out nuclear war. This is what Putin has threatened and, apparently, what the alliance fears.


There is a problem with this pledge of inaction, at least for Ukraine and its beleaguered civilians. It leaves them vulnerable to Putin’s attacks, which the world continues to watch in horror on TV each night, while suffering, at least somewhat, from the pangs of a less than clear conscience. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not been the only one to say Russia’s invasion “shows signs of genocide.” One might reasonably ask, does anything of substance remain of the world’s post-Holocaust promise of “Never again?”


Let us draw some conclusions from this.


First, Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which treats an attack against one NATO member as an attack against all members, is either an unbreakable pledge of collective defence, or it is a bluff, a hollow threat.

Second, if Article 5 is not a bluff, then the rationale for declining Ukraine’s requests falls apart. In a word, NATO cannot have it both ways. It either fears nuclear confrontation with Russia and will avoid it at all costs, or it doesn’t and won’t. Clearly, NATO’s commitment to collective defence, if resolute and inviolate, constitutes a complete rejection of Putin’s nuclear blackmail. So why the fear of assisting a country whose innocent civilians are being slaughtered?


Third, whether or not Article 5 is a bluff, by refusing Ukraine’s plea for the military hardware it requires to defend itself against war crimes being committed by a much larger, much more powerful, nuclear-armed invader, NATO is providing a green light to all similarly inclined predator states possessing a nuclear arsenal. The corollary to this is also telling. While the lives of people living in NATO member countries may be worth saving at all costs against foreign aggression, the lives of Ukrainian citizens (and, more generally, of all people living outside NATO countries) are not.

Fourth, if Article 5 is not a bluff, there may be another, more cynical reason underpinning NATO’s desire to limit its involvement in militarily aiding Ukraine. That is, from NATO’s perspective, there are advantages to remaining on the sidelines until Russia either loses its war with Ukraine, or occupies Ukraine but then sustains mortal wounds following many years of unsuccessfully fighting an unforgiving guerrilla war led by a determined Ukrainian resistance. Either way, Russia suffers a crushing defeat, NATO wins, and Ukraine … well, Ukraine is yet again abandoned by the world in its time of need, to suffer unbearable losses and unimaginable destruction, before rising again from the rubble, to rebuild and renew its democracy, restore its sovereignty and independence, and take all necessary steps to never again rely on the promises of others as it did, most recently, in 1994. As the world well knows, under the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine voluntarily transferred its entire nuclear arsenal to Russia in exchange for promises from America, the U.K. and Russia to protect its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. It’s unlikely to ever make a mistake like that again.

One prays the above supposition is wrong. But unless NATO provides Ukraine with the military equipment and assistance it needs to defeat Russia, NATO’s excuses for declining such aid will forever remain suspect.

Your donation is needed to help support this important community project!
Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through:www.cufoundation.ca  For further information: [email protected]

BackgroundThe Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, established by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) is working with Ukrainian government ministries, who are in the best position to advise on the needs on the ground so that we can ensure that the donations we receive meet the needs of the Ukrainian people. The appeal will work with established partners on the ground who have demonstrated the ability to deliver aid in a timely and effective manner. 

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Committee is established jointly by the two organizations to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The committee will work with the Ukrainian Canadian community across Canada to reduce duplication of effort, increase efficiency and ensure aid efforts have the most effective impact for Ukrainian citizens affected by the crisis. 

Donations in support of humanitarian relief can be made through: www.cufoundation.ca or by sending a cheque to CUF office (620 Spadina Ave, suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5S 2H4).For further information: [email protected]