About four or five staff remain at the Mennonite Centre and are continuing the mission of delivering humanitarian aid in the Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine as the war enters its second week.
Dave Regehr is a volunteer and board member of Friends of Mennonite Centre in Ukraine. He says the most current pressing need seems to be for food.
"Especially for seniors and little children," he noted. "The Centre is continuing their lunch program for seniors, as well as helping to fund several soup kitchens that have been organized by the local mayor."
In the last two days, the Centre has also funded significant food distribution in areas like Krasnogorovka where, according to an online update posted by the Mennonite Centre, not only are the locals experiencing hardships but so are about two dozen people who fled to the town when their own community, Volnovaha, was nearly entirely destroyed. Money has also been sent to the Centre's distribution network in areas south of Kharkiv.
Regehr reported, at times, staff has taken shelter in the basement of the Centre, but continue to prepare and distribute meals as best they can.
"So, one can imagine that this is all pretty traumatic," he noted.
As for what the situation is like on the ground, Regehr said staff have reported that several hundred military vehicles moved through town earlier this week, one local building was shelled and at one point, a missile launcher was set up in town and firing at a city about 10 kilometers away.
Meantime, money is needed in order for the Centre to continue its work of helping the vulnerable. Regehr says the expectation is that it will continue to operate as long as it can keep sending funds via internet and bank transfers, and as long as the local authorities will allow.
"We know that the needs are only going to increase as the war goes on, and after the war as well," he explained. "In the past, we have had very good relations with the Ukrainian local, municipal, provincial and federal governments and so, we expect that to continue. The local mayor and so forth still seem to be in charge. Should there be a regime change, of course, then we would all have to reassess but we don't hope for that."
Board members of Friends of Mennonite Centre in Ukraine continue to keep in touch virtually.
As for how else we can help, Regehr says to pray.
"For peace, for the carnage of war to stop, and for safe and positive living conditions and governance to return to Ukraine," he said. "And to express our opposition to war in whatever way we can. It is not a good way to settle whatever differences people may experience."
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