Israel’s leading humanitarian aid organization, IsraAID, is providing free psychological support to survivors and families affected by the helicopter crash in a city near Kyiv. On Wednesday, a helicopter crashed near a kindergarten in Brovary, leaving at least 14 people dead, including one child and leaders of Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. Another 25 people were injured, including 11 children. The crash is the second major civilian disaster to hit Ukraine in less than a week, coming after a major missile strike on a residential building in Dnipro that killed at least 40. IsraAID is
providing psychological support to the survivors of both disasters.
IsraAID-trained psychologists are directly supporting 15 survivors of the crash and their families at Brovary Central Regional Hospital. The organization has offered free psychological support to all survivors and families of those injured or killed in the crash. The psychologists were trained by IsraAID in psychological first aid, in partnership with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and the local NGO Barrier Free. The program, launched in September, is part of an initiative led by the Office of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, prioritizing the mental health of Ukrainians amid the fighting. A total of 60 psychologists have been trained and are stationed in hospitals in Dnipro, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia.
IsraAID has more than a decade’s experience providing Psychological First Aid in disaster-affected communities, from environmental emergencies like hurricanes and earthquakes, to epidemics, conflict and displacement, to large-scale civilian disasters.
IsraAID has been responding to the Ukraine crisis since February 26th, 2022, two days after the full-scale Russian invasion. IsraAID’s response includes psychological support, aid distribution, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, and educational and medical support.
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More information is available upon request, including interviews with IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer, IsraAID team members, and partners in Ukraine.
CONTACT:
Shachar May – Currently in Ukraine and available for follow-up
Email: [email protected]
Phone/Whatsapp: +972586664969
NOTES:
To read more about IsraAID’s response to the missile strike in Dnipro, click here.
