A SCOTTISH charity has spoken of the grim reality and changing nature during its ongoing aid response to help Ukrainian refugees.
Glasgow The Caring City sent another four trucks full of targeted aid from Scotland to Poland, making this operation the biggest in the charity’s 24-year history in terms of outbound aid departing its Glasgow warehouse in a single day.
The stark reality of the dangerous positions that aid and charity workers are putting themselves in was brought home to the organisation with reports of three deaths and others missing among partner organisations they work with.
Among a long list of organisations who supported this phase of aid are 3PL, Trespass, Bullet Express, Calmnco and Remade Network – the sincere thanks of all at Glasgow The Caring City goes to each and every firm which offered help.
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Now, as well as recurring items of aid such as self-heating food packs, children’s backpacks and medical PPE, the charity is being asked to help source items such as body bags and forensic overalls, a grim reminder of what is needed when there are high numbers of lives lost within an area of conflict. During the weekend just past, lives lost included aid workers working with organisations partnering with Glasgow Caring City.
After returning from his second four-day trip to Ukraine and Poland this month, Glasgow The Caring City Operations Director Ross Galbraith said: “This is an extensive aid operation spanning not only the warzone itself in Ukraine but several surrounding countries. I hate to draw comparisons but this feels like the Balkan conflicts all over again.
“On Saturday, I met a group of 50 families who have fled fighting in the Donbas region. Their situation is stark. Even with an end to fighting, it is unlikely that they will be able to return home for many years to come. What happens to those women and children?
“This weekend we learned of three fatalities and four missing amongst partner organisations operating around Lviv and Kyiv. These are innocent and brave aid workers doing a job they are trained to do. Anyone who says ‘I would love to go over and volunteer’ may be blind to the grim reality. This is a war and not even a red cross nor a fancy sticker will keep people safe when terror rains down from the sky.”
Glasgow The Caring City’s programme of daily food provision, funded by itison and its members thanks to a £100,000+ appeal, continues to support the most vulnerable in Kyiv, Vinnytsia and Lviv in Ukraine, and in Wroslav, Poland. It is aiming to provide the equivalent of 50,000+ days’ worth of support, including hygiene packs, across an eight-week period.
The charity says ongoing donations will enable it to provide further targeted support - donations to the fundraising appeal can continue to be made here: justgiving.com/campaign/glasgow4ukraine
Glasgow The Caring City was founded in 1999 to help vulnerable people in crisis in Scotland and internationally.
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