Lviv. 27 February 2022. Hundreds of people trying to escape the on-going conflict in Ukraine wait for a train to Poland at the central train station in Lviv.
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Emergency Ukraine

On Thursday, March 3, 2022

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In Ukraine, MSF's priority has been to ensure the safety of its staff and the continuity of care for patients treated in its regular projects.

In the border countries (Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania), MSF has carried out several exploratory missions over the past few days to assess needs and adapt our response: from welcoming displaced people to preparing emergency interventions and transporting equipment to the Ukrainian territory, in particular by treating the injured and supporting hospitals. Teams are also mobilised in Belarus and Russia, ready to provide humanitarian assistance after a needs assessment.

Lviv. 26 février Lviv. 26 February 2022. Children seen through the window of an evacuation train heading for the border with Poland, as thousands of people attempt to flee the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Crossing the border with Ukraine. Refugees who fled Ukraine at a makeshift humanitarian point. 1 March 2022.  Poland, Hrebenne.
Medyka border crossing, Poland. Photo taken by MSF staff during the needs assessment on 28 February 2022. The Korczowa temporary accommodation site in south-eastern Poland. Photo taken by MSF staff during the needs assessment on 28 February 2022.

MSF remains present in Ukraine despite the suspension of its regular activities. We have been able to provide casualty care kits to hospitals in Mariupol (south-east) and Kiev, and to provide remote training in emergency trauma medicine to 30 surgeons in eastern Ukraine.

A shipment of 120 m3 of medical equipment, including surgical and trauma kits, is being transported to Ukraine from our MSF Supply logistics centre in Belgium for delivery to health centres in the country in the coming days.

 Part of the first shipment of emergency kits sent to Ukraine from the MSF supply warehouse in Brussels. 28 February 2022.
Part of the first shipment of emergency kits sent to Ukraine from the MSF supply warehouse in Brussels. 28 February 2022.

"It is important for us to have a good understanding of the dynamics of the offensive in order to assess the needs and not put our teams at risk."  Bérengère Guais, MSF deputy head of emergency programmes.

At the border checkpoints between Ukraine and Poland, our teams see people crossing on foot, by car and by bus, often exhausted. Some arrive with children as young as 25 days old.

Many of those who have crossed the Polish border tell us they spent long hours in queues in freezing temperatures. Some were dehydrated and others suffered from hypothermia. We have donated essential items to a reception centre in Poland and are working to scale up our response.

How can you support MSF?

MSF currently covers the costs of emergency activities in Ukraine and neighbouring countries through the MSF Emergency Fund. Thanks to this fund, we can respond quickly to crises. Staff and equipment are ready to respond at any time within 48 hours.

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