Hidden Costs of Ukraine's War
As we focus on our continued assistance to Ukraine, we want to uplift those in the country who are struggling to survive amidst the conflict of war as well as from complications from receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS.
After almost 10 months into Russia’s war on Ukraine, the end is not in sight. Putin’s ambition to claim the sovereign nation has had unfathomable results, including the deaths of and atrocities unleashed upon tens of thousands of Ukrainians. Thousands more have fled their homeland as refugees in neighboring nations to protect their families and to survive. Economically, the war has impacted everyone — with surging gas and food prices as supply and distribution are challenged, particularly for low-income nations that rely on Ukrainian grain exports.
But there is another hidden cost to this war as well: the disruption of HIV/AIDS treatment services for the almost quarter of a million Ukrainians who are HIV positive. Ukraine also has one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) burdens in the world. Without services, infections will spread, and people will die. Inside the country, the Russian invasion to date has damaged or destroyed more than 850 health facilities. Outside Ukraine, the refugee situation has exacerbated the ability to prevent and treat HIV and TB, as patients are less able to receive diagnostic support and vital treatment.
Like many faith communities across the globe, the St. Charles Ave. Baptist Church has focused our modest response efforts in Ukraine on the most urgent needs of food and shelter. We have provided direct funding to missionaries at the Ukraine-Poland border who have worked tirelessly to help Ukrainian families find temporary housing and safety as refugees, as well as supporting the essential work of World Central Kitchen. Not only do our collective efforts need to continue, but we also need to consider the broader needs of those still within Ukraine who are surviving day-to-day life in a war. For instance, the chance of girls and women — who never expected war and atrocities — to survive and thrive in good health weighs heavily in my own heart. ….