Disaster Response Grants for Ukraine Approved

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Hanspeter Pfister, Präsident RSS

The need in Ukraine is great, many buildings were completely destroyed and winter is coming. Therefore, emergency shelters are urgently needed. With Rotary's Disaster Response Grants, together we can make a difference and give people some hope.

Help for Ukraine thanks to The Rotary Foundation

In an email received on August 7, 2022, Oksana Tjupa, Charter President of the Rotary Club of Kyiv International, writes:

"Currently, Ukraine is in a very critical situation, with over 800,000 internally displaced people who have lost their homes due to the war (mostly women and children) sleeping on the ground. In Irpin, for example, there is only one shelter for 520 people for 7,000 affected people. Lacking space and money, people are forced to return home - under rocket and shell fire!

By providing new emergency shelter, we are saving people's lives! Thanks to Rotary and Disaster Grants, we have already provided 8 emergency shelters for 3250 people.

Each Disaster Grant can help 120 people find new homes!"

To provide and set up the emergency shelters, RC Kyiv International works directly with the city governments, which is why the shelters can be provided free of charge and only the furnishings need to be financed.

In her message, Tjupa emphasized that "together, we can help many more people with the Disaster Response Grants. That's why Rotary Districts 1980 and 2000 applied to The Rotary Foundation on August 30 for two Disaster Response Grants of $25,000.

The applications were approved and the 50,000 U.S. dollars were transferred to RC Kiev International on October 6. The money will fund 250 beds, 300 mattresses and 300 sheets for emergency shelters for refugees from the east in several localities in western Ukraine.

We are happy to be able to contribute to the relief of the need in Ukraine.