The war in Ukraine continues to escalate, and the humanitarian crisis is catastrophic. More than 2 million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries. The European Union estimates that refugee numbers could top five million -- a number that includes tens of thousands of Jews -- making this the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
At the same time, tens of millions of people remain in Ukraine, including many of Ukraine’s 200,000-member Jewish community. Families, children, Holocaust survivors, and the homebound elderly -- especially those who have been displaced multiple times -- are trapped or enduring limited access to food and water and are facing imminent humanitarian devastation.
Since the first days of the invasion, UJA has been working 24/7 with our partners utilizing our expertise and on-the-ground network to provide humanitarian aid and evacuation assistance to the Jewish community including those who want to make aliyah -- and for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in desperate need.
Thanks to your generous support, to date we’ve already allocated $5 million in emergency funding to provide urgent assistance and relief. We're coordinating with partners who have expertise and systems already in place in Ukraine and its neighboring countries, grassroots organizations that can nimbly reach those in dire need, and international disaster response and refugee support organizations.
If you were unable to attend our latest briefing yesterday that included a powerful eyewitness update from our CEO Eric S. Goldstein who just returned from Poland, you can view the recording here:
Though thousands of miles separate us from the Jews of Ukraine, the bonds between us are inextricable. We pledge to stand by their side, providing every kind of assistance we can through the dark days of this crisis.
