We recently helped support an evacuation of an 87-year-old grandmother from the horrors in Mariupol. Before she turned ten, her first experience escaping fascism was when she hid in Mariupol to avoid being captured by the Nazis and sent off to a concentration camp. Now, once again, she was trapped in a Mariupol basement.
The humanitarian crisis has been compounded by the fact that Mariupol has been under siege since nearly the beginning of the war, cut off from Ukraine by land, air, and sea. Food and medicine are scarce. There is no running water, gas, electricity or cell phone service—the latter further complicating rescue efforts. On April 11, the mayor of Mariupol told the Associated Press that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the onslaught so far.
(This article describes life in Mariupol under siege and the journey of escape, including arriving at Dnipro's Menorah Center. This is not the route Elvira took, yet this article shares the full scope of the humanitarian crisis in Mariupol and showcases the vital work of our partners in Dnipro.)
https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/5492777/jewish/A-Jewish-Familys-Exodus-From-Mariupol-Ukraines-Living-Hell.htm
When we learned, from our Mariupol coordinator, Alisa, that the woman had evacuated with the help of her closest relative, a great-niece,
we asked how we could be of assistance. After learning that the woman escaped with little more than what she was wearing, we provided a much-needed stipend so that she could afford food and clothing.
Yes, there are many organizations also helping. Yet sometimes, having the means to get something specific and immediate provides a sense of independence. This support also offered the woman and her great-niece a gesture of compassion and humanity in an environment so lacking those attributes.
Helping someone who has now survived two fascist attacks on her home is just one example of the thousands of ways Action-PSJ is providing support to people in Ukraine. As a small, nimble grassroots organization, Action-PSJ has direct, up-to-the-minute knowledge of what is needed and where. Whether it's providing emergency kits or food allowances, supporting evacuations, or medications, Action-PSJ is making a real difference in the lives of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine.
All this and more are only possible with your support. You are making a real difference one person at a time.
As we commemorate another Yom Hashoah and war rages in Ukraine, let us renew our promise and say, 'Never again.'
