Foreign Aid Freeze Sets in as Medical Teams International Marks Three Years of Health Care in High Need Areas

(UKRAINE) February 19, 2025 – With the U.S. government’s sudden and massive reduction to foreign aid last month, humanitarian organizations around the world and in Ukraine are facing deep cuts. At the 3-year mark of the war, as citizens face increasing fear and uncertainty about their survival and future, many U.S.-funded aid groups are suspending operations or leaving Ukraine at a time when they are most needed. 

Since 2022, Medical Teams International has delivered more than 3,600 mental health and psychosocial support sessions, reaching over 25,000 unique beneficiaries. Our mobile medical units travel to remote areas and provide consultations, referrals, and medications. Medical Teams responds to populations experiencing severe, extreme, and catastrophic levels of need, which are particularly high in the east and south of Ukraine where we work. These areas are close to the frontline in Khersonska, Mykolaivska, Zaporizka, and in areas with vulnerable populations impacted by conflict in south Dnipropetrovska. 

Despite the severe mental toll of war and grief, the people of Ukraine courageously help one another to bear the ongoing burden by prioritizing individual and community health. Medical Teams providers and volunteers trained in psychological first aid offer valuable support, and they refer patients who might need more specialized care. Our community health volunteers are trained to engage their neighbors, doing everything from holding support groups to sharing messages on health topics. Mental health counselors hold group therapy sessions and meet individually with people affected by the ongoing crisis.  

“If safety, security, and humanitarian assistance are further compromised in Ukraine due to the significant loss of U.S. and international support, suffering and avoidable deaths will surely increase,” said Duncan Fleck, Ukraine Country Director for Medical Teams. “Humanitarian actors are now leaving the country, which is tragic and puts additional pressure on those who are left. We have scaled up essential medical services to fill gaps left, but the need is overwhelming. At this three-year crossroads, the world must recognize how much is at stake for so many.” 

About Medical Teams Ukraine 

Serving since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, the committed local staff of Medical Teams International have worked to bring high-quality, loving health care to communities across four regions and have served more than 69,000 people in 30+ locations. Our staff work in more than 20 villages alongside local partners, including Ukrainian non-governmental organizations, pharmacies, and transit hubs for internally displaced people, to serve those with disabilities and the elderly who have been forced to flee. 

 To make a donation to Medical Teams, visit https://www.medicalteams.org/ 

 About Medical Teams International 

Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as refugees, internally displaced persons, and survivors of conflict zones and natural disasters. Daring to love like Jesus, we care for the whole person and serve all people. Learn more at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams.  

 # # #