We are heartbroken over the desperate situation that the people of Ukraine are facing. Hundreds of thousands of families have already left their homes and are fleeing west. Many of them now seeking to cross the border into neighbouring Eastern European countries, sometimes standing at a border checkpoint more than 50 km in line.

In collaboration with Andriy Kostyshyn, the YFC National Director of Ukraine, YFC are putting together a rapid response to provide humanitarian aid to support our YFC staff and volunteers across Eastern Europe, as they respond to the crisis.

YFC ministries in Slovakia, Romania, Czech Republic, Moldova and Hungary are working on the ground to provide immediate aid to help the people of Ukraine, as well as our YFC Ukraine staff and volunteers. Andriy Kostyshyn is coordinating the efforts on the ground, and we are seeking to raise £10,000 to support him and all our YFC Eastern European nations as they respond to the crisis.

In Ukraine, many of the YFC staff and volunteers are still in the country helping facilitate refugees moving from the east to the west of Ukraine, or helping those trying to get across the border to the neighbouring countries. Some of the team are working from Slovakia helping coordinate the response. Many of the YFC Day Centre volunteers have stayed in Ukraine and have opened their homes to refugees. Each day they visit families, and distribute essential food and medicine. Many of them are in Donetsk, Lugansk, Dnepropetrovsk - where there is strong active hostilities.

Vlasto, the National Director in YFC Slovakia and his team are seeking to accommodate 75 people in their conference centre, and provide a safe place where people can stay as long as they need. They would seek to create facilities that would allow children to continue their education, depending on the length of time they need to stay.

In YFC Moldova, Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania, the staff and volunteers are using their own facilities and working with local churches to take care of many refugees. That includes: housing, food, water, transportation and supplies. Many of the team are also crossing the border on a regular basis to bring medical supplies and food to the refugee camps in Ukraine.

We would ask you to join with us as we seek to support our brothers and sisters on the front line. Every penny donated will go directly to these teams on the ground as they seek to respond and provide support where it is needed most.

If you would like to receive regular updates and prayer requests regarding our teams in YFC Eastern Europe, and how they are responding, please email prayer@yfcni.org and ask to be put on the Ukraine Prayer Support List.

Thanks you in advance for your kindness and generosity.

Yours in Christ

Suzi Mclean (National Director)