GOAL scale up long-term response programme in Eastern Ukraine
The Irish humanitarian aid organisation GOAL has scaled up its programmes in Eastern Ukraine, with its Emergency Response Team having established an operational base in Lviv. The Eastern region is where thousands of internally displaced people, mostly women, children and elderly people, are caught on the frontline of the conflict.
The aid agency previously responded to the humanitarian crisis in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine between 2015 and 2017, as a result of the 2014 conflict and is the only Irish aid agency currently registered in Ukraine. The 2022 conflict has now seen over 4.3 million people flee Ukraine, while over 7.1 million people have been internally displaced.
GOAL brings 45 years of expertise in understanding the nature and impact of humanitarian emergencies and conflict, working in acute and protracted crises worldwide. As the Ukrainian conflict becomes more protracted and entrenched, GOAL’s in-depth knowledge of the complexity and risks involved in working in volatile conflict zones provides a platform to overcome the myriad of challenges that are emerging, such as humanitarian access.
LENDING SUPPORT & REBUILDING LIVES
The Ukraine conflict, now entering its eighth week, has also resulted in an extremely heightened risk for children, women, the elderly and those with disabilities. GOAL has specific expertise in safeguarding, encompassing child protection, prevention of gender-based violence and protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. GOAL will be focusing on these areas as it scales up its operations in Eastern Ukraine.
Speaking about GOAL’s response to the crisis, Eamon Sharkey, Director, Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at GOAL said, “Without the generosity of people and companies across Ireland, and the support of the Irish government, GOAL and our partner aid agencies in Poland would not have been able to respond so rapidly. People around the country have been fantastic in donating funds and rallying their communities with fundraising drives.
As the conflict enters its eighth week and counting, we need the continued help of the public to support Ukrainians in such desperate need to survive this crisis and then rebuild their lives.”
GOAL remains one of the leading aid agencies supporting conflict-affected and vulnerable people in Northwest Syria since 2012 and continues to work in fragile contexts such as South Sudan and Haiti.
For more information on GOAL’s Ukraine Appeal and to donate, visit https://www.goalglobal.org/ukraine/