World Jewish Relief has established a major pipeline to get humanitarian aid into Lviv in western Ukraine via Poznan in Poland, and from there across the country to the most vulnerable people struggling to survive. This is in addition to the relief items, procured in Ukraine itself, which we have been funding for our 29 local partners to swiftly meet their communities’ urgent needs since the Russian invasion began. Last week our first mass shipments arrived in the country, and they have now been distributed to civilians in need.

The operation is being led by an in-country logistics lead and our humanitarian team. Getting humanitarian relief into an active conflict zone is no simple task (we have overcome customs red tape, long-haul logistic complexities, and sourcing challenges), but we are confident that at least for now the route we have established is effective.

Given the volume we need, we are purchasing items from across Europe and the UK. We are working with the largest supplier to the UK military and UN food programmes to procure daily food parcels that will feed families for a day, as well as larger boxes for a week. Other companies including in Poland and Spain are supplying us with weekly food parcels and hygiene packs. One of the world’s leading specialist medical companies is supplying the medicines.

Everything we are providing is in response to civilians’ most urgent needs, and in many cases a direct response to our partners’ requests. All medication is individual clients’ prescription medication, requested by partners as they are unable to access them in the country. They include things like inhalers, insulin, and epilepsy tablets.

We have committed to shipping into Ukraine, and distributing:

• 42,000 ration packs, designed for those on the move, providing 2,300 calories per day and offering three meals for one person over a 24-hour period.
• 37,023 weekly ration packs, designed for those who are staying within Ukraine.
• £200,000 of critical medicines such as pain relief, anti-infectives, inhalers, insulin, epilepsy tablets, and rehydration salts.
• 2,500 mixed boxes of toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, anti-septic wipes, soap, incontinence pads, and protective bed under pads. These packs are particularly targeted to meet the needs of older people and women.

This distribution is well underway. So far ration packs have reached people in Dnipro, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava and Sumy. Our Head of Humanitarian Programmes plans to visit Lviv next week to oversee large deliveries due to arrive. Below are photographs of the first shipments arriving in Lviv.

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