Singapore Red Cross team arrives in Europe to coordinate aid efforts; to deploy $1.12m in medical equipment
The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has committed another $1.12 million in medical and first aid kits, medical equipment and medicines for rare diseases, hygiene and essentials amid a worsening refugee situation in Europe.
In a statement on Tuesday (April 5), the humanitarian organisation said it has also deployed a two-person team on a mission to Ukraine's neighbours where refugees fleeing the country are hosted.
The team, which arrived in Hungary on Monday, will oversee the humanitarian response and aid distribution contributed by people in Singapore.
SRC secretary general Benjamin William said: "The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is catastrophic and continues to grow.
"Our latest tranche of aid reflects our utmost priority, which is to help the most vulnerable persons, including children and youth, women with infants and young children, the elderly, patients with rare diseases and persons with disabilities."
He added that SRC would continue to address basic needs such as emergency shelter, sanitation, hygiene and psycho-social support.
The organisation is also working with the Ukrainian Club in Singapore to deliver up to 3,000 medical kits to Ukrainian cities from the borders in Poland.
Dr Galyna Kogut, president of the Ukrainian Club in Singapore, said: "This project to deliver medical kits is timely, given the huge number of injured civilians requiring urgent medical attention."
This third tranche of aid from SRC brings the total disbursement of support to $3.66 million.
The organisation's first tranche of aid worth US$100,000 ($135,000) arrived in Ukraine on March 4.
It supported more than 30,000 people who received assistance from the Red Cross emergency stockpile: including hygiene and food kits, warm clothing and medicine.
The second tranche of support, worth $2.4 million, was distributed on March 10.
The aim was to assist Ukrainians in the country and across six neighbouring countries - Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania.
Meanwhile, at least 80 individuals and groups have raised more than $6 million within five weeks of SRC's public fundraising appeal on Feb 25 to help the affected communities in and around Ukraine.
The public fundraiser will end on May 31 this year.
Those who wish to donate can refer to City of Good's website.
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