Refugees fleeing conflict in neighboring Ukraine arrive to in Przemysl, Poland, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine has triggered a massive humanitarian upheaval. More than 670,000 Ukrainians have crossed into other countries in search of safety from the violence. “At this rate, the situation looks set to become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century,” the UNHCR said today. Ukraine has already been a leading country of origin for refugees arriving in the United States due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, with more than 10,000 Ukrainian refugees resettling in American communities the last five years.
CWS will respond to meet the needs emerging from this crisis, though many details remain unknown. Our staff and partners in Europe are carefully monitoring the unfolding emergency. We are in deep conversation with our teams who work with migrants and refugees in Balkan nations, our local partners in the region, and international coalitions to assess emerging needs and create response plans accordingly.
In the United States, CWS is one of nine resettlement agencies that implements the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. We stand ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees who will arrive in American communities in the coming months and years as a result of the events of the last week. Our teams have proudly welcomed Ukrainians for more than a decade as part of our work addressing the global refugee crisis. We continue to fight for a robust system through which people who have been displaced from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Tigray, Syria and many more countries of origin can access pathways to rebuild their lives in peace.
We are establishing the Ukraine Crisis Response Fund to offer humanitarian assistance to people displaced as a result of the violence and bolster partners in Europe to serve the most vulnerable.
Donations can also be made by mailing a check to Church World Service, PO Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515. Please designate “Appeal code 6642: Ukraine Crisis Response Fund.”
We will continue to offer updates as this situation evolves. Follow CWS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest information.