Since 2020, the pandemic of COVID-19 has been widespread all over the world, where more than 570 million people had been affected, of which more than 6 million people died.  Now, it is the third year of the impact.  During these years, the virus has been transforming itself into types of Alpha, Beta, Gama, Delta, and the most contagious Omicron.  We sincerely hope that the world will be cured and become as healthy as before.

 

　　As bleak as circumstances seem, there is bound to come a day when humans can live together with these viruses, but what of man-made disasters?  Conflicts have been occurring between Ukraine and Russia since 2014, but no one could have envisioned that Russia would unexpectedly invade Ukraine on February 24. Citing “demilitarization, de-Nazification, and neutralization,” the invasion quickly escalated into full-out war, turning into the largest military campaign to take place in Europe since the Second World War. Fighting has continued for over a month, resulting in more than 50,000 soldiers and civilians having been injured or gone missing on both sides, while also leading to the displacement of over 4 million people.
 

　　As a global humanitarian organization, the Red Cross is committed to the important task of assisting and protecting civilians and military personnel in times of armed conflict as stipulated under the Geneva Conventions. We would like to express our gratitude for the trust and donations the general public have given to the Red Cross. The Russian-Ukrainian war has triggered a humanitarian crisis. With the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Taiwan Red Cross has donated 1,700 boxes of supplies filled with over 240,000 items valued at over 3 million dollars, which included sleeping bags, blankets, diapers in various sizes, feminine hygiene products, raincoats, and food, to Ukraine, Poland, and other countries accepting refugees. In late March, the TRC donated to the Romanian Red Cross, Slovak Red Cross, and Moldova Red Cross; as for Poland, which has hosted over 2.3 million Ukrainian refugees, we also assisted the Polish Red Cross in procuring various types of medical equipment including physiological monitors and electrocardiographs. In early April, we donated to the ICRC to support their humanitarian aid work in Ukraine, as well as contributed to the IFRC in support of their distribution of relief to refugees in countries neighboring Ukraine. The TRC has also pledged to fund both the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and Hungarian Red Cross. Where there is suffering, the Red Cross is there to help, and as long as people are in need and the donations we receive allow, the Taiwan Red Cross will never cease in our humanitarian mission.

　　We will continue to do our very best to let our actions travel from Taiwan to Ukraine, to warm the hearts of the innocent civilians forced to leave their homes during this humanitarian crisis. 

　　Let us jointly dedicate ourselves to Taiwan’s humanitarian operations by offering compassion and protection to those who need it!