Catholic Relief Services

The tragedy of war in Ukraine According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February unleashed the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II. In the first two weeks of the war, more than 2 million fled the country, almost all of them women and children; millions more were displaced within Ukraine.

“It's alarming to see the scale of the suffering caused by the war in Ukraine,” said Sean Callahan, Catholic Relief Services’ president and CEO. “CRS partners and staff inside Ukraine, Moldova and Poland have spoken of the immense suffering they've seen. We’ve heard of children dragging bulky luggage, their faces wet from tears. We've heard of crowds huddling inside bus terminals for shelter, knee-deep in their belongings. The weight of the trauma lives on the faces of young and old alike.

“We are also witnessing tremendous acts of solidarity and generosity from the populations receiving refugees, as well as from those donating to the relief effort around the world.” he continued. “CRS and our Caritas partners are providing food, shelter, relief items, counseling and information

services to displaced people within Ukraine, and to refugees in Moldova, Poland and Romania. This work is made possible through the generosity of supporters. “With all of this in mind, we join the pope in calling for an immediate end to the fighting,” he said in mid-March. “As we know all too well from the wars in Syria and elsewhere, people will continue to suffer until there is peace.” CRS RESPONSE Conflict is not new to Ukraine. After waiting in line with their mother for hours to find safety, these sisters crossed the Moldovan border in March. The country of 44 million people previously fought with Russia over Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, which forced 1.3 million people from their homes and claimed 14,000 lives. Throughout this time, Caritas Ukraine, with support from CRS, has been providing emergency relief and recovery. Despite the enormous challenges and uncertainty of what is to come, CRS is supporting Caritas operations in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Poland by providing assistance to arriving Ukrainians at multiple border crossing points. In addition to supporting the cross-border shipment of relief supplies into Ukraine, CRS also has been helping with the preparation of a cash assistance program to be scaled up to reach as many refugees as possible. In Poland alone, the aid in March included a shipment of $3 million Euros’ worth of humanitarian supplies funded by the European Union. Caritas partners in neighboring countries are providing: • Food assistance through field kitchens for hot lunches and snacks • Child-friendly evacuation centers with clothing, information, referrals, food, water, hygiene items and counseling services for emotional care and case management • Transportation for refugees to friends, families and local social services • Assistance with mobilizing community support to provide host homes for refugee families

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Church. As a member of the Lumen Cordium Society, your Annual Catholic Appeal gift provides support for many worthy programs, including CRS.