In the Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk, the Order of Malta’s Ukrainian Relief Corps (Malteser Ukraine) has begun to supply displaced people with tents, camp beds, blankets and food. The relief items sent from Germany on Thursday arrived on Saturday and were immediately made available. Medical and psychological assistance is also being provided.
“Our Malteser Ukraine colleagues, like many people there, are now mentally and physically close to breaking point. Concerned about the safety of their families and their country, they are also fiercely determined to help others. In the east of the country our colleagues have partially resumed psychological support, but for security reasons they are doing it online. I am very impressed by this dedication and we are trying to assist them as much as possible,” says Oliver Hochedez, head of the emergency department of Malteser International, the Order of Malta’s international relief agency.
“The Order of Malta’s associations and relief services in the states bordering Ukraine, including Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, have already sent their personnel to the border and are providing assistance to refugees leaving the country, distributing food and water and offering healthcare. Malteser International will support them and deliver what is most needed, such as medical supplies, hygiene kits and drinking water. Millions of refugees are expected to flee this war and we are committed to helping them in every way possible,” says Clemens Graf von Mirbach-Harff, Secretary General of Malteser International.
The Order of Malta has been active in Ukraine since the 1990s. In close cooperation, Malteser Ukraine, Malteser Germany and Malteser International provide psychological support to displaced persons and offer hot meals for refugees, as well as poor and disadvantaged people. The Order of Malta Germany has sent medical supplies and mobile soup kitchens to support displaced people in Ivano-Frankivsk.
Oliver Hochedez, head of Malteser International’s emergency department in Cologne, is available for interviews and soundbites.
