The Red Cross movement has so far supported more than 14.5 million people impacted by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Since 24 February 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion, eight million people have left the country and 17 million people are in need of humanitarian support, notes the International Red Cross (IFRC).
The Red Cross has also been working with Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that the country’s humanitarian needs are met. The Red Cross works in 59 countries, with more than 124,000 volunteers, mobilised to help the affected populations, the majority of whom were women and children.
The Belgian Red Cross did its part to raise €7.2 million in donations. It used 3.4 million of this at the international level — in particular by supporting the operations of the Luxembourg Red Cross, which has a long-standing presence in Ukraine and is an expert in the field of emergency shelters, construction and renovation — and 3.8 million in Belgium to finance reception activities there, for logistical purchases and for various aid programmes.
Furthermore, the Belgian Red Cross has deployed a delegate from its emergency pool to Romania to support the implementation of a cash programme. Thanks to the development of a unique smartphone application in just one month, direct financial support was provided to more than 60,000 Ukrainian refugee families in Romania.
In Belgium, according to a balance sheet drawn up at the end of January, some 65,000 people were received. The Red Cross provided the first emergency reception on the national territory, organising the provision of medical and psycho-social care. Around 6,000 people were helped in this respect – 3,435 people received primary health care and 2,616 received psychosocial support. A Connect2Talk translation platform (in 5 languages) has been developed to facilitate contacts between Belgian hosts and Ukrainian families, and volunteer translators, who speak Ukrainian as well as French, Dutch, German or English.
The Belgian Red Cross has also implemented specific support for access to employment, housing, education, language learning and private accommodation. Another example is the “buddies” project, which started in Walloon Brabant and will eventually be extended to the whole of Wallonia and Brussels. It allows Ukrainian refugees to be accompanied individually by a volunteer “buddy”, and to participate in activities and meetings in pairs.
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The Red Cross has also provided logistical support to the Belgian municipalities and provinces on whose territory a reception centre is located. At the local level, some 10,000 people were welcomed by local Red Cross entities, received emergency food aid, were able to buy clothes in the cloakrooms, receive hygiene products, furniture, etc. In one year, 3,210 people received hygiene kits and 13,776 children were welcomed in places specifically dedicated to them. These aid actions were made possible by the participation of 6,173 crisis volunteers.
The conflict in Ukraine has, moreover, contributed to aggravating the economic crisis situation in Belgium and to increasing the precariousness of vulnerable people in our country. Part of the donations received is therefore used to help local Red Cross entities to meet the growing needs of the public already present in Belgium, such as through providing food parcels, fighting against homelessness, as well as reinforcing reception.
