Offaly man joins humanitarian convoy to deliver vital aid to Ukraine
An Offaly man is taking part in a humanitarian convoy which is delivering vital aid to Ukraine.
James Fanning, from Syngefield, Birr, set out from southern England last week with about 40 other charity workers in a vital operation which is being run by the organisation “Jeeps for Peace.”
The convoy took the ferry over to the continent and spent a few days driving all the way to Lviv in western Ukraine, where they handed over their jeeps and pickup trucks to the medical section of the Ukrainian military.
Jeeps for Peace buy old jeeps and pick up trucks and deliver them to the Ukrainian army medical corps who then convert them for ambulance purposes.
On arriving in Lviv, James and the group first visited the city's graveyard where their bagpiper played an emotional, contemplative theme as they visited the many graves of those from the city who have died during the war.
After this moving event, they drove on to an army warehouse in the city where they handed over their vehicles to the army.
Next, they delivered vital medical supplies to the Army Veterans Hospital in the city. According to Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, 500 Ukrainians are wounded in the war every day.
Lviv's general hospital is one of 244 across Ukraine which takes in injured soldiers and civilians, treating them for physical and psychological wounds.
When you visit Ukraine's hospitals you often see men in military uniform mixing with members of the public; reminding you, of course, that these aren't normal times. In some hospitals you will see that it's mostly young men filling the corridors, many of whom are missing limbs. Artillery fire plays a major part in this war and, according to Ukraine's health ministry, the most common injuries are from exploding shells.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in two Ukrainians needed some form of rehabilitation before the invasion last year, when the country had already seen eight years of fighting in the east. The pandemic has also been partly blamed by the WHO. This need for rehabilitation has hugely increased since the invasion.
As well as delivering the vehicles and medical supplies in Lviv, James and the other Jeeps for Peace volunteers visited Kyiv and the south of the country, not far from the intense fighting of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
“So far,” said James, “Jeeps for Peace has supplied 100 jeeps and pickup trucks to the war-stricken country.
“A lot of ambulances have been destroyed during the brutal war; that's why these humanitarian convoys are so badly needed.
“Fire trucks are also needed. Nearly 500 fire vehicles have been destroyed during the war. Any secondhand vehicle will do as the Ukrainians can repair and convert them. Fire fighters don't have secure / encrypted radio communications and so the Russians can target and destroy the vehicles.
“While a hundred vehicles have been driven from the UK to Ukraine, Jeeps for Peace are also very keen for volunteers and vehicles from Ireland. I'd recommend it. It's a very rewarding experience.”
Once in Ukraine, each vehicle will be modified before being sent to the front-line. There they will be used to deliver critical supplies of food and medicines, evacuate civilians in danger, and retrieve wounded soldiers from the front-line. They can then be rapidly transported to the vital medical teams. Each vehicle directly saves lives and is invaluable.
The Jeeps for Peace branch in the UK has been running for the last year, and it has just set up an Ireland branch. If you are interested in volunteering please email [email protected]