A family sit in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. In Ukraine’s capital, many residents hurried underground for safety overnight Thursday and Friday as Russian forces fired on the city and moved closer. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

The humanitarian and development agency International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is responding to needs created by the conflict in Ukraine. Given the enormity of the crisis, IOCC has launched a campaign to raise at least $1 million dollars in private donations to support this work.

In response to the crisis in Ukraine, IOCC is working with partners in country and across the region to help address immediate needs, while looking ahead and planning for longer-term response.

Initial efforts in Ukraine include providing generators and fuel, as well as flashlights, batteries, and candles. Families with young children will also receive baby diapers.

In addition, IOCC is working with partners on the ground in Romania and Moldova who are serving refugees arriving from Ukraine. We’ve deployed staff to the area and are coordinating with local churches. IOCC support will provide emergency supplies including food, water, cots, mattresses, blankets and other bedding, baby food, wipes, and diapers, plus other hygiene and sanitary items.

“The core of IOCC’s work has always been responsibly and effectively offering humanitarian aid,” said IOCC Executive Director and CEO Constantine M. Triantafilou. “We’re grateful to be in a position to mobilize quickly, both inside and outside of Ukraine, to help people in dire need right now.”

A campaign of this magnitude, gathering private dollars, will allow IOCC to adjust and respond even more effectively as needs change. In addition, private funding will help IOCC establish a presence so that when institutional funding becomes available, the agency can present a compelling programmatic case for support. With the aim of helping as many people as possible, this combination is a proven strategy for addressing both short-term and long-term needs in a crisis.

Anyone who wishes to support IOCC’s humanitarian response to the Ukraine crisis is asked to pray for all those affected and the people serving them, to share what IOCC is doing in order to spread the word, and to give as they are able financially. To make a donation toward these efforts, please visit iocc.org/ukraine22 or call 877.803.4622.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is the humanitarian relief and development agency of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of the United States of America. Since its inception in 1992, IOCC has provided more than $742 million in humanitarian relief and sustainable development programs in over 60 countries worldwide. Today, IOCC applies its expertise in humanitarian response to natural and manmade crises in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, offering assistance based solely on need. Learn more at iocc.org and follow us @IOCCRelief on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Боже великий, єдиний, нам Украïну храни. Great and only God, protect Ukraine for us.