(PORTLAND, OR) March 22, 2022 – As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to cause mass migration, loss of life, and destruction, Medical Teams International is expanding its response to provide needed supplies and medical care to refugees crossing into Moldova and to the injured and ill within Ukraine.

The global health and humanitarian organization has developed a three-part strategy to drive its growing response, based on needs identified by its assessment team in the region. First, Medical Teams will continue providing grants to local agencies that are directly responding to Ukrainians’ health needs. Second, Medical Teams will help build medical and psychological first aid capacity in Moldova, through local health centers and mobile services at refugee accommodation centers, points of entry, and border crossings. Third, Medical Teams is planning to provide medical care within Ukraine, working in partnership with clinics and hospitals and exploring options for shipping equipment and supplies into the country.

According to the UN, 3.5 million refugees have now fled Ukraine, and approximately half of them are children. It is estimated that an addition 6 to 10 million people are internally displaced within Ukraine. More than 340,000 of these have entered Moldova (a country with a population of about 3 million), and roughly 100,000 of them remain in Moldova.

“As the world continues to watch in disbelief and with great sadness, Ukrainians are struggling to survive amidst the chaos of war,” said Martha Newsome, President & CEO of Medical Teams International. “We know that millions are in need of basic supplies and medical care. We’re working in coordination with other organizations so that our collective expertise and resources are used most effectively. Responding to dire situations such as this is exactly why Medical Teams exists.”

One of Medical Teams’ partnerships is with the Moldovan organization Coram Deo, its former partner when it worked in Moldova in the ‘90s. Coram Deo prepares hygiene kits on a daily basis and drops them off in the morning at the refugee transit center. They deliver boxes of food in the afternoon. Volunteers distribute the hygiene kits to Ukrainian refugee families, and three meals a day are prepared for all of the Ukrainians in the transit center. ​

To donate to Medical Teams’ Ukraine response: https://give.medicalteams.org/ukraine.htm

If you are a medical professional interested in volunteering with Medical Teams, visit https://www.medicalteams.org/volunteer/

About Medical Teams International

Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as survivors of natural disasters and refugees. We care for the whole person— physical, emotional, social and spiritual. Daring to love like Jesus, we serve all people—regardless of religion, nationality, sex or race. Learn more at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams.

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