We share with you this request from our colleagues at Médecins Sans Frontières Australia on this crucial issue. Please donate now to support MSF’s emergency medical response in Ukraine, where urgent action is needed.
At this crucial time, it is important that every person in Ukraine can continue to access essential healthcare.
If you can, please support our emergency response in Ukraine today.
DONATE TO UKRAINE NOW
I am writing to you urgently about the unfolding situation in Ukraine.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have worked day and night to switch from regular long-term medical activities in Ukraine to responding to a war situation.
So far, the focus has been on surgical, trauma, emergency and intensive care equipment and medicines. But other key medical needs are starting to emerge, including insulin for diabetes patients and medicines for patients with other chronic diseases such as asthma, hypertension or HIV.
Alex Wade, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Ukraine, spoke to ABC News Radio earlier this week about the dire situation in the besieged city of Mariupol:
“There are dead bodies in the streets from the different bombings that have occurred. People have started digging holes in their own backyard to bury the dead bodies of their neighbours. People have started dying because they lacked access to medications that they needed for existing medical conditions that they have not been able to get care for.”
SUPPORT OUR UKRAINE RESPONSE
As hospitals in the east become overwhelmed with war trauma patients, their supplies are dwindling, and we don’t know how long it will be before Kyiv may be cut off. We are in a humanitarian race against time to supply Ukrainian hospitals.
Our primary goal is to get the right medical supplies to where they are needed, in large volumes, and as rapidly as humanly possible. Meinie Nicolai, MSF General Director explains:
MSF emergency medical supplies have arrived in recent days, and further shipments will follow in the days and weeks to come. But we fear that it will get harder, perhaps rapidly so, to move medical supplies and medical staff to where they are needed, hence the real urgency to move fast on this now.
The race to get medical aid where it is needed has started. We are working to rapidly scale up our medical and humanitarian response based on where we see the need is greatest. It will be challenging; it will be risky – but with your support, we will continue with determination.
We need your help.
Jennifer Tierney
Executive Director
Médecins Sans Frontières Australia
