War in Ukraine: The Order of Malta expands its support programmes
The Order of Malta is expanding its projects in Ukraine to support the population. Since the beginning of the war one year ago, international and national entities and partners of the Order of Malta have distributed half-a-million hot meals to IDPs, provided 19,000 beds in shelters, as well as generators, trained 13,000 people in first aid, and transferred 16 ambulances.
Malteser International, the Order of Malta’s worldwide relief agency, has announced it will increase programmes for psychosocial support and delivery of relief supplies, especially to the east of the country.
“Children all over the country are suffering from the war. Their psyche is changing. They can no longer think freely in a childlike way,” notes Pavlo Titko, Head of Malteser Ukraine. The aid organization has been offering psychosocial support programmes in Ukraine since 2014. Because school attendance is not possible or only possible to a limited extent throughout the country, children and young people learn much less and less effectively.
Distributing generators, power banks, blankets, sleeping bags, hygiene items and food in villages and towns directly affected by shelling also means the highest risk to the lives of aid workers. “Something can happen with every transport to the war zones” Titko says. “But the will to support the particularly affected population is very strong throughout the country,” he says.
In view of the first anniversary of the war, the Grand Hospitaller of the Order of Malta, Fra’ Alessandro De Franciscis will pay a visit to Poland and Ukraine over the next few days. The Grand Hospitaller will meet staff and volunteers of the Order of Malta who have been implementing the many humanitarian projects.
In the first year of the war, Malteser International delivered 8,700 tons of relief supplies from Germany to Ukraine or neighboring countries. Logistics hubs in Germany, Poland and Ukraine ensured reliable temporary storage and delivery of the relief supplies where these are most needed.
The presence of the Order of Malta in Hungary, Romania, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania is ensuring round the clock assistance for refugees through medico-social projects, psychological support, delivery of healthcare and hygiene products, food, and shelter. The efforts made by the Order of Malta’s Grand Priories and Associations in collecting and transporting necessities also from outside Europe are also worthy and made possible by the Order of Malta’s diplomatic network, which from the beginning of the war has been active both on the operational level to facilitate assistance projects and on the diplomatic level with appeals to the international community.
