REACT’s ongoing commitment to humanitarian relief and resilience in Ukraine
Posted by Paul Taylor 31st January 2025 News
Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins
What’s Next for REACT in Ukraine?
Words Paul Taylor, International Operations Manager at REACT Disaster Response.
I can vividly recall looking out of the car window in the early hours of the morning as we made our way to the border crossing point that would take us back into Poland. The rising sun revealed a blue sky and the swathes of golden corn of the Ukrainian flag and I reflected upon a journey of thousands of miles and a new partnership that would allow us to address at least some of the human suffering that was being endured in the East of the Country.
That was almost three years ago at the end of the recce Gordon and I undertook to Romania, Moldova, Poland and eventually Ukraine and who could have even imagined that the suffering has continued and impacted the entire population of Ukraine from East to West.
During this period REACT has done what it does best, remain flexible and in a position to respond to the humanitarian need. This has evolved through core humanitarian needs of food, water, shelter and medical support, to power for critical infrastructure, hot food in winter for the elderly and vulnerable and for the past year the delivery of Frontline Medical Training to first responders and frontline communities.
"During this period, REACT has done what it does best: remain flexible and in a position to respond to the humanitarian need".
This has taken us to areas you will still see, hear and read about in the news today; Kupiansk, Pokrovsk,Kherson and others where ordinary people are exposed to enormous risks every day of their lives. The relationship we have built with our Ukrainian partners (and now very much our friends) in the Ukrainian Education Platform and our own first-hand experiences mean that together we can look with an insightful eye to the future. That future sees a new US administration avowed to bring the fighting to an end but what is abundantly clear is that will not be happening in the immediate term and until there is a cessation in military activity the suffering will continue.
We are driven by an imperative to address human suffering wherever it is found so we stand ready to support our Ukrainian partners in the coming months and for as long as they require our assistance.
Watch: How REACT delivers life-saving training in Ukraine’s most dangerous zones
