Israel’s leading humanitarian aid organization, IsraAID, is supporting first responders and families in Dnipro, Ukraine, following a direct missile strike on a residential building during Russian air raids across the country. Saturday’s strike left at least 40 people dead, and 75 injured, including 14 children. As of January 16, at least 30 people were still missing. Psychologists trained by IsraAID are providing free psychological support to victims of the strike and first responders. Meanwhile, the organization is delivering urgently needed aid items to partners in the city.
Twenty psychologists are providing free psychological support to affected families and first responders at four hospitals across the city – Dnipropetrovsk Oblast City Hospital for War Veterans, Dnipro Clinical Emergency Hospital, Dnipro Clinical Psychiatric Aid Hospital and the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Specialized Rehabilitation Center. 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 will also provide aid to the city and the families who have lost their homes in the strike. Food is being sent through IsraAID’s two Humanitarian Logistics Hubs located in Odesa and in Tulcea, Romania. The first shipment of food will arrive on Wednesday, and the organization will provide winterization items, such as blankets, to the families, through our partners, on request.
IsraAID has been responding to the Ukraine crisis since February 26th, 2022, two days after the full-scale Russian invasion. IsraAID’s team was one of the first international groups to reach the border crossing at Palanca, in southern Moldova, around 50 km from Odesa. Today, the organization has offices in Kyiv and Odesa, Tulcea, Romania, and Chisinau, Moldova. IsraAID’s response includes psychological support, aid distribution, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, and educational and medical support.
IsraAID’s Protection Coordinator in Ukraine, Timofii Druzhynin, said:
“Our hearts go out to the people who were affected by this strike. Alongside the physical and medical aid, it’s so important that these families and first responders have access to psychological trauma care. We’re glad that this group of psychologists is on the ground and able to support the survivors, helping them build resilience and recover from this difficult event.”
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More information is available upon request, including interviews with IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer, IsraAID team members, partners, and beneficiaries in Ukraine.
CONTACT:
Shachar May – Currently in Ukraine and available for follow-up
Email: [email protected]
