Today, Feb. 24, 2023, marks the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Eight million refugees have fled to neighboring countries in just one year … and those who remain have experienced unspeakable horrors.
I’ve met and spoken with many of them as I’ve traveled to Ukraine and the surrounding countries three times over the past year.
And one of the main things they always said was “Please don’t forget about us. Please don’t stop praying for us.”
They desperately need us to not grow weary of this war and to keep doing everything we can to help.
Will you give Ukrainian refugees the physical and spiritual aid they desperately need?
A year in review
The past year has brought so much pain and suffering for the people of Ukraine:
— Soldiers open-fired on displaced Ukrainians waiting in line for aid in Kharkiv.
— In Luhansk, Russia bombed a school building housing over 80 refugees.
— The streets of Bucha were filled with the massacred bodies of civilians — an event that both President Biden and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy declared an act of genocide.
— Human rights groups found evidence of “executions, other unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, and torture, all of which would constitute war crimes and potential crimes against humanity.”
— Ukrainians have disappeared through the process of “filtration,” where anyone deemed a threat to Russian rule is taken to a detainment center and tortured for information and to coerce them into supporting Russia.
— And Russia destroyed over 40% of Ukraine’s electrical grid, leaving countless Ukrainians at risk of freezing to death without electricity and heat through the coldest months of winter.
What comes next?
It’s been a year-long nightmare for Ukrainians, and there seems to be no end in sight. In fact, the fighting continues to escalate as Russia tries to prove they have made progress over the past 365 days.
At the beginning of the month, President Zelenskyy said, “There are already many reports that the occupiers want to do something symbolic in February. To try to avenge their last year’s defeats.”
Tens of thousands of newly mobilized soldiers have been dispatched to northeastern and southeastern Ukraine. And we’ve already seen fighting so intense this month that Russian missiles have crossed over into neighboring Moldova and Romania — two countries hosting thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
So many families are already displaced, trying desperately to survive after living an entire year as refugees. And with these new waves of attacks, the number of Ukrainians fleeing from war is only going to grow.
This crisis isn’t going away anytime soon … so neither are we.
World Help’s partners in Ukraine and neighboring countries continue to work around the clock to provide lifesaving refugee relief like food, clothing, blankets, medical care, trauma counseling, and more, along with copies of God’s Word.
Ukrainian refugees need YOUR help staying warm this winter
How can you help?
While you can’t control what comes next, you do have the power to make a difference in the life of a Ukrainian refugee. You are not powerless in this crisis.
Here are two important ways you can get involved:
First and foremost, pray.
Pray that God will protect Ukrainian refugees from Russian attacks … for the Holy Spirit to give wisdom and guidance to our partners working to distribute aid on the ground … and for those who are still separated from their loved ones.
And last, but certainly not least, pray for a swift, peaceful resolution between Russia and Ukraine.
Second, give.
Ukrainians are losing hope … and the worst thing we can do is become desensitized to their needs. So will you be a lifeline for a refugee today?
Just $35 will provide a week’s worth of essentials like emergency food, clean water, and other lifesaving aid for one displaced person from Ukraine.
Ukrainians don’t have the luxury of putting this war behind them because it’s “old news” — and neither do we.
Please, give your best gift to provide help and hope for a Ukrainian refugee today.