From Ukraine to Panjab: Our Global Humanitarian Response
The year 2023 began on an optimistic note. However, the year proved challenging, particularly for those in Ukraine, Armenia, Gaza, or Punjab.
All the same, we can’t help but take solace in knowing people like you who rushed forward to help victims of wars and natural disasters just because you knew they were in pain, in shock, in misery. We wish to tell you how much you did, and how much it all meant!
The thought of a devastating war dragging on for nearly three years, wreaking unimaginable havoc is at once deeply unsettling. But that’s precisely what defines the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.
Ever since the start of the invasion, you lent us your timely support, enabling our courageous volunteers to lead relief efforts deep inside dangerously inoperable combat zones. We rescued victims and distributed essential supplies – hot meals, sanitation kits, medicines, and warm clothing among others.
We set up bomb shelters, and pitched heated tents and camps for war refugees.
In order to save more lives, we designed and launched Trauma & Medicine: Project Braveheart, a train-the-trainer program involving doctors, paramedical professional volunteers, and ex-servicemen for imparting advanced first aid training to equip civilians with the skills for dealing with medical emergencies. The program has since benefitted thousands of civilians trapped in war zones.
Fears of genocide in the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South Caucasus triggered an exodus in which hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians fled the region toward the end of September. They subsequently poured into different parts of neighboring Armenia including, Yerevan, Syunik, Kotayk, and Ararat.
This resulted in a serious refugee crisis with thousands in dire need of emergency humanitarian aid. According to locals, the only organization that ventured into the region to provide immediate critical assistance was UNITED SIKHS.
Our volunteers set up a camp at Tatev in the Syunik region, which was hosting dozens of families, many of which consisted of women, children, elderly persons, pregnant women, infants, and people living with chronic illnesses.
We distributed warm clothing, electric heaters, bedding, blankets, medical supplies, and wood to the refugees.
We took the help of a local translator to speak to the traumatized families, identifying their psychosocial needs, accommodation anxieties, and employment aspirations.
The Middle East has been on the boil since Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel in October. Israel retaliated with air and artillery strikes, resulting in more than 15,000 deaths in Gaza – nearly half of whom are children.
A complete siege of the Gaza Strip has led to people here being subjected to water, fuel, and electricity cuts, as well as very restricted delivery of food, water, and medical supplies, plunging the region into darkness.
Meanwhile, you strengthened our hands, making sure our volunteers – even at the Gaza-Egypt border – were able to deliver essential assistance and relief including medicines, food, water, sanitation kits, and clothing to the needy in the midst of this burgeoning humanitarian crisis.
Triggered by excessive monsoon rainfall, the floods in Panjab destroyed homes, ruined infrastructure, and ravaged hundreds of thousands of lives, wreaking devastation of a magnitude not seen in decades.
Backed by your support, UNITED SIKHS volunteers arrived early on, distributing essential aid across dozens of affected villages in the state. We provided food, water, clothing, tents, medical supplies, and other essential goods to thousands of people.
Make a Gift of Love for Panjab!
Given the scale of destruction, recovery is bound to be slow and painful. In order to expedite the process of rebuilding Panjab and restoring livelihoods, we sought – and still seek – your regular support.
Consisting of a) immediate relief b) gradual rebuilding and c) long-term rehabilitation, our phased relief plan reflects how we used and will use your precious gift to sustain the impact of our actions (we are currently implementing the critical third phase).
We pray and hope that peace is restored in Ukraine, Armenia, and Gaza; that Panjab is able to stand on its feet again. But until that happens, we will keep helping the helpless and reaching out to the needy – and we know you will stand by us because you always, always have!
Jasleen Kaur
UNITED SIKHS
Recognize the Human Race as One
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