Providing Crisis Care in Ukraine as Third Year of War Begins

The Fellowship  |  February 19, 2024

One of our partners in the former Soviet Union (FSU), the JDC, is on the ground in crisis-torn Ukraine helping the Jewish community, many who have stayed in the country during the war, and who are still facing extreme hardship, reports JNS:

“While this conflict can hardly be found on front pages of many news outlets, the situation has only gotten worse,” says Inna Vdovichenko, JDC’s representative in Odessa, who has remained in Ukraine for the past two years: “We are facing widespread fatigue and stress from the ongoing economic and psychological trauma. Losing jobs, family members and continued displacement is combined with the harshest reality that people face: increased sirens, alerts and attacks. Sometimes, they last for hours, and often during nights, we have to stay on a mattress in the corridor because there are few shelters, or they are just too far away to be reached…

Together with local Jewish communities, JDC also offers support to more than 13,000 Ukrainian Jewish refugees in Europe, including trauma care and mental-health counseling; educational opportunities for children; and financial and employment assistance, including access to online remote and freelance work, as well as skills training…

Financial support comes from the Jewish Federations of North America and local Jewish Federations; the Claims Conference; the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews; in addition to individuals, families, foundations and corporations.