Preparations underway to receive refugees in Germany
Cologne/Lviv. A relief transport with medical equipment urgently needed by Malteser Ukraine in Lviv started today from the Lower Rhine. The medical aid organization “Action Medeor” dispatched EUR 60k worth of supplies ordered by the Order of Malta. "It is part of the chain of deliveries that we are able to send from Germany thanks to many donations," said President of Malteser International Europe, Douglas Graf von Saurma-Jeltsch. Basic foodstuffs, sleeping bags, and camp beds are also still being brought across the border. Malteser Ukraine is providing hot meals to thousands of refugees who are stuck in traffic jams up to 30 kilometers long on the border with Poland.
More materials such as field kitchens, tents and medical supplies will soon be delivered to help set up reception facilities for refugees in countries neighboring Ukraine. Order of Malta volunteers are working in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania to offer warm soup or hot drinks to the refugees. "It's cold and wet and the people are traumatized because they had to leave their homes in panic and don't know what will happen to them and their relatives in the country," said Saurma-Jeltsch. "They need safety and suitable accommodation."
In Germany, the Order of Malta is gearing up to house and care for the Ukrainians who have fled, mostly women with children. "We are ready to work with the states and municipalities to set up suitable accommodation and provide good care for these people," said Saurma-Jeltsch. Where there are no more places available in shelters normally designed for this purpose, hotels or large housing units will be repurposed.
Attention editors:
You can find photos for download here: https://malteser.eyebase.com/view/pinRTksi8hy
Douglas Graf von Saurma-Jeltsch, President of Malteser International Europe and Member of the Board of Malteser Germany, is available for interviews and sound bites.
Operator: +49 (0)221 9822 -7180, kathrin.muenker(at)malteser-international.org
