Ukraine

IRT's
Response
to the War in Ukraine

IRT have partnered with Eden Aid to deliver essential medical and humanitarian supplies to the Ukraine border and transport refugees to host families

Hundreds of thousands of people have no access to food, water, medical care and electricity. Ukrainian civilians have had to seek refuge in shelters, facing perilous journeys to escape Russian bombardment.

To help the Ukrainian people trapped in this violent conflict, International Refugee Trust has partnered with Eden Aid, who are working tirelessly to deliver vital supplies to Ukraine and rescue people stranded at the border.

Nearly 6 million Ukrainians have fled Ukraine and over 7.7 million are internally displaced. 90% of those forced to flee are women and children.

UNCHR, 2022

Who are Eden Aid?

Two groups of friends from Penrith and Oxford came together to do something real and help coordinate aid for Ukraine and help the displaced people of Ukraine. They gather medical provisions and essential supplies needed in the Ukraine and in the refugee centres in Poland. They then deliver that aid using locally donated and, sometimes, funded minibuses from the UK to the Polish border where logistics are in place to distribute it to Refugee Centres or onward into Ukraine directly to those in need. On each return journey the minibuses are bringing displaced Ukrainians back to welcoming host families in the UK or to other secure rehoming networks elsewhere in Europe.

Our Response

So far, there have been:

13 trips with 34 minibuses have driven 82,200 miles over the past 10 weeks.
121 pallets of medical supplies, food, and hygiene & sanitary products have been delivered with an approximate value of £150,000
211 displaced Ukrainians transported to host families in the UK
82 displaced Ukrainians brought to host families in other European countries

Your donation can provide someone in need with:

Food
Clothes
Nappies
Medicine
Hygiene and sanitation product

What is happening in Ukraine

The war began on the 24^th February, after the first few Russian troops were seen crossing the border between Crimea and Ukraine. Since then, Russia has shifted its strategies and is focusing on eastern Ukraine, with the majority of the fighting taking place in the Donbas. Russian forces are edging closer to capturing the whole of Luhansk region, including Severodonetsk, the largest eastern city and the epicentre of Russia’s recent attacks.

In Severeodonetsk, half of the all the houses have been destroyed and almost all the buildings have been damaged. Ukrainian civilians have had to seek refuge in shelters, with many desperate to leave. However, Russian troops have denied people safe evacuation routes by attacking civilian corridors. With this ongoing violence, millions of people desperately need your support.

A word from IRT's CEO

Steven Smith says: “The conflict in Ukraine has caused thousands of civilian causalities and seen the wanton destruction of cities and towns. It appears that the commission of war crimes against the civilian population is rife – including torture, executions and sexual violence.

Such acts have triggered one of the fastest-growing displacement crises ever. It is estimated that over 7 million people have fled the country and 18 million have been internally displaced. With bombardment from air strikes, missiles and artillery rounds being launched against urban areas, the scale of injuries has been horrific. As a result, many hospitals face dramatic shortages of medical supplies. The mental health consequences have also been immense. Every day, more people face a terrible choice: stay in an unsafe place or flee their homes into uncertainty.

International Refugee Trust has partnered with Eden Aid to relieve the hardship and distress of some of those now forced to become refugees. In simple terms, the joint programme sees the supply of medical aid, essential items and other humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian border, where local, trusted agencies take over onward distribution. The same transport is then used to extract refugees from holding areas at the border for movement to safe homes in the UK.
International Refugee Trust is proud to be working with Eden Aid in this vital project to restore dignity and hope to those in most need.”

SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE

100% OF YOUR DONATION WILL HELP REFUGEES NOW. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT WORK BY DONATING TODAY.