Crisis in Ukraine

Samaritan's Purse is providing food and non-food items to suffering families in Ukraine while airlifting medical supplies into the country as fighting rages on. In partnership with churches in Ukraine, we are transporting these urgently needed relief supplies to families suffering in areas impacted by conflict.

• Samaritan’s Purse has served more than 11 million people throughout the first 13 months of this response. We have distributed over 130 million pounds of food within Ukraine in partnership with the local church. Our water systems and newly constructed freshwater wells have provided more than 40 million liters of water to Ukrainians.
• More than 40 airlift missions have brought relief for those struggling inside Ukraine.
• Over 52,000 Bibles have been distributed to Ukrainians in their time of need.
• Samaritan's Purse has provided wood stoves and firewood to over 4,200 families to help them face electricity shortages in the winter weather.
• More than 7 million refugees from Ukraine have spread across Europe, the United States, Canada, and other countries worldwide. Many millions are also internally displaced due to the conflict.

Through more than 40 airlifts—the vast majority of which were carried out through our DC-8 cargo jet—Samaritan’s Purse has transported hundreds of tons of relief items, including our Emergency Field Hospitals, medical supplies, food, and hygiene kits. We continue to bring in new shipments of supplies nearly every other week and are working in close partnership with churches in Ukraine to get these items to communities where the need is urgent.

More than 130 million pounds of food have been distributed so far to help the people of Ukraine with their most basic needs. One resident named Natasha lives in a village that had endured a month of bombing. She said of the food she received from Samaritan's Purse, "We simply wouldn't survive without it."

Franklin Graham said, “We are so thankful for our network of churches and Christian partners we work with to deliver the food and other relief supplies to people in the areas that need it most, including dangerous areas close to the front lines."

Through our Medical Airlift Program, we have transported more than 750 pallets of medical supplies to more than 115 hospitals throughout Ukraine to assist in resupplying the local, strained health system. We are also training local healthcare professionals in burn care, intensive care unit services, and infection prevention and control. To date, we have provided this training to more than 6,400 individuals.

We’ve also operated Emergency Field Hospitals in Lviv and a recently liberated area of Ukraine. These have since been turned over to the Ministry of Health for continued care of the Ukrainian people. Through these hospitals as well as six emergency outpatient facilities, Samaritan's Purse staff have treated more than 23,600 patients since the conflict began.

In areas impacted by violence, we have provided over 20 water systems that, together with more than 15 newly constructed freshwater wells, are supplying more than 40 million liters of clean water for suffering families where water and other infrastructure were destroyed. We are also helping to restore homes in Ukraine that have been partially destroyed in the ongoing conflict, allowing locals to return to their communities.

“Ukrainian families are hurting and in desperate need of prayer and support as millions flee for their lives,” said Franklin Graham. “We want to meet the needs of these families in their darkest moments while pointing them to the light and hope of Jesus Christ.”

We have also provided more than 57,000 solar lights to the citizens of Ukraine to assist them with the frequent electricity shortages during the conflict.

Samaritan's Purse has a partner network of more than 3,000 churches in Ukraine and neighboring Moldova. As conflict erupted, we were in the process of distributing 600,000 Operation Christmas Child gift-filled shoeboxes in Ukraine, and another 400,000 shoebox gifts will be delivered there during the next year.

Over the past months, we’ve sent thousands of children's backpacks to Ukraine aboard our DC-8 aircraft. Included inside are a soft bear that says "God Loves You" in their language on the front, plus crayons, a sketch pad, a knit hat, a ball, and a booklet in Ukrainian that tells them God loves them.

More than 7 million refugees from Ukraine have spread across Europe, the United States, Canada, and other countries worldwide. Aiding this migration, Samaritan's Purse has airlifted more than 260 people from Poland to Canada with our DC-8 aircraft. Many millions are also internally displaced due to the conflict.

In June, Samaritan’s Purse concluded its operation in Moldova where we were able to care for thousands of people through food distributions, medical care, and by providing desperately needed items such as mattresses, blankets and hygiene supplies.

“Please join me in praying for the people of Ukraine and for this conflict to end quickly.” Franklin Graham