Durban: Humanitarian aid organisation Gift of the Givers will be intensifying its efforts in war-torn Ukraine.
On Thursday morning, director Imtiaz Sooliman said Suzanne Ackerman from the Ackerman Family Foundation had pledged R1.5 million towards the repatriation of South African and African students.
“The Department of International Relations and Cooperation will be engaging with Gift of the Givers on the repatriation matter this afternoon.”
Sooliman said the Ukraine initiative came to life at short notice, and they were actively assisting orphans, the elderly and ordinary people in need of help.
Sooliman said the team have safely arranged themselves and are supplying essentials including food, baby food, diapers, sanitary pads, hygiene packs, warm clothes and essential medicines.
He said the teams initially purchased from small shops but soon expanded to wholesalers as prices were rising.
“This has been an extremely interesting process providing training in disaster intervention at a distance to people who have zero experience in such matters.
“However, they have been beyond incredible in applying the theory practically.
“We are expanding the teams and are organising them inside the "hot spots" where there is no entry point for supplies and are replicating the process, finding shops, supplying the funds, identifying specific needs and supplying.”
Sooliman said Gift of the Givers were funding the intervention, which is paying for fuel and everything associated with the purchase and delivery of essential and very basic necessities.
“We are setting up multiple storage areas. The teams are held by the hand and guided on the approach to disasters on a daily basis.”
He said, in addition, The Ukraine Association of South Africa has partnered with Gift of the Givers.
“They are connected to medical personnel inside Ukraine. Medical supplies are being sourced inside the country, and together with their own financial contributions, we will commence purchases of these life-saving materials for health facilities trapped in the hot spots.”
Sooliman said discussions had been held with medical aid societies, pharmaceutical companies and health facilities in South Africa to supply essential medicines, which will be sent by commercial flight to support all other medical requirements inside Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian Ambassador, Dr Liubov Abravitova, thanked us at a press conference on Monday for our intervention in Ukraine and has requested a meeting to discuss humanitarian initiatives as soon as we are available.”
These are the banking details for those wanting to contribute:
Gift of the Givers
Standard Bank
Pietermaritzburg
Account number: 052137228
Branch Code: 057525
Ref: Ukraine
Deposit slips should be emailed to: [email protected] for acknowledgement.
IOL