Prior to the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, many international NGOs had no presence on the ground in Ukraine or its surrounding countries. The scale and pace of the unfolding refugee and humanitarian crises have left organizations scrambling to determine whether and how their expertise is needed.
Nearly 3 million people have fled Ukraine in less than three weeks, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency, and many more have been displaced within the country amid fighting and Russian shelling. Civilians are running out of food and water, while those fleeing bring only what they can carry, with a particular need for blankets and supplies to keep warm in frigid temperatures — all conditions that require a large-scale, built-from-scratch humanitarian response.
Among the INGOs performing needs assessments, rapidly hiring staffers, and identifying local partners across the region is Concern Worldwide, an Ireland-based humanitarian NGO that responds in conflict settings. Ros O’Sullivan, the head of emergency operations at Concern, said that his organization would not typically respond to a disaster in Europe. It mostly works in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.