New York City, 28th February 2023 – The Governor of the state of New Jersey, United States, Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy joined the UNITED SIKHS team at the Ukraine-Poland border, witnessing the specially designed tactical medical program and showering praise on the initiative.

Balwant Singh (UNITED SIKHS Director), Governor of New Jersey – Phil Murphy, First Lady – Tammy Murphy along with UNITED SIKHS Volunteer Coordinators – Prabhleen Kaur, Jasleen Kaur and Daler Kaur at the UNITED SIKHS Relief Camp at the Ukraine-Poland Border

The couple paid an official visit to Lviv Oblast in western Ukraine on 17 February, 2023, in the course of which they met Governor of Lviv Oblast Maksym Kozytskyy, Mayor of Shehyni Oksana Pavusko, and Chief of staff of the Governor of Lviv Oblast Roman Kynazev. They subsequently joined the UNITED SIKHS team – including President Balwant Singh, Director Hardayal Singh, and youth volunteer coordinators Prabhleen Kaur, Daler Kaur, and Jasleen Kaur – at the Ukraine-Poland border. Here, they witnessed a live demonstration of the tactical medical program for civilians conducted by UNITED SIKHS Senior Officer and medical operations trainer Norman Bart. This unique emergency medical training (EMT) initiative was unequivocally lauded by the dignitaries, including the NJ Governor and First Lady. They also helped the UNITED SIKHS team distribute aid among refugees, displaced children, and orphans.

Governor of New Jersey – Phil Murphy, UNITED SIKHS Programs Director – Hardayal Singh and UNITED SIKHS Advisor – Mr. Victor Herlinsky at the Ukraine-Poland border

“It’s been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, wreaking unimaginable suffering and devastation across swathes of the country. The efforts by UNITED SIKHS stand out like a beacon of hope amidst the bleakness of this unfolding tragedy” said Phil Murphy. “Particularly commendable is the ingenious tactical medical program. By training ordinary civilians, it has the potential to save countless lives in serious conflict zones” he emphasized. 

Civilians in Ukraine attending the tactical medicine training offered by UNITED SIKHS

“Everything we do at UNITED SIKHS is inspired by the idea of recognizing the whole human race as one” explained Hardyal Singh. “Even since war broke out in Ukraine, our teams of volunteers have been on the ground evacuating people to safety, providing relief supplies, building bomb shelters, and basically doing everything to stand by the Ukrainian people in their hour of need. Our emergency medical training program is the latest and most unique initiative aimed at saving maximum lives in battle zones with no access to emergency care” Singh  underlined.

Given the escalating conflict, UNITED SIKHS, in November 2022, launched a first-ever ‘train-the-trainer’ program in which 50 Ukrainian civilians were given tactical medical training. The program was designed with the idea of enabling civilians to offer basic treatment to other civilian victims of war, increasing their odds of survival in hostile environments. The training program includes – but is not restricted to – arranging the right medical equipment, treating fractures and wounds, evacuating the injured, and offering protection against hypothermia, among others.

Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy & First Lady Tammy Murphy with the UNITED SIKHS tactical medicine training team

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine touches the one-year mark, the conflict shows no signs of abating. With at least 8,000 non-combatants confirmed killed, 13,300 injured, and millions displaced since the outset of the war, Ukraine may well be in the throes of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

UNITED SIKHS has incessantly been at work in Ukraine since February 2022, spearheading humanitarian efforts in various directions, from rescuing individuals and distributing essential supplies – food, water, clothing, and medication – to extending pro bono legal services to people in need.

About Governor Phil Murphy 

A former banker and diplomat, Philip Dunton Murphy has been serving as the 56th Governor of New Jersey since January 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, Governor Murphy is known for his progressive positions and forward-thinking policies. He and his wife Tammy Murphy have been deeply involved in civic life and philanthropic pursuits for more than two decades.

Volunteer Coordinators Daler Kaur and Jasleen Kaur with Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy at the Ukraine-Poland border

About UNITED SIKHS

Founded in 1999, UNITED SIKHS is a United Nations-affiliated, Department of Public Information-associated non-governmental organization headquartered in New York. The organization has a global presence with chapters across 5 continents and primarily works around three areas, namely – Humanitarian Aid (Sikh Aid), International Civil & Human Rights Advocacy (ICHRA), and Community Education and Empowerment Development (CEED).

Hot meals being served to families crossing the border from Ukraine to Poland  

Jasleen Kaur
UNITED SIKHS

Recognize the Human Race as One