Caritas Portugal kicks off campaign to help the Ukrainian people – Observer
Caritas Ukraine will launch a fundraising campaign until the end of the March war month to help Caritas Ukraine continue its national war with Russia.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, the president of Cáritas Portugal explained that it is “a campaign to support the Ukrainian people”, whose objective is “accompany the movement of displaced persons from Ukraine to various countries in Europe“.
“A number must be prepared for an emergency situation, with the first basic spaces for food, hygiene, etc. ”, explained Rita Valadas.
The campaign is publicly presented on Wednesday, March 2, at the headquarters of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, “in a moment of prayer for peace in Ukraine”, taking into account what Pope Francis did so that, on that day, as people prayed for peace.
The official recalled that Cáritas Portugal went ahead with the remittance of its own funds – the The institution announced the donation of 20 thousand euros to the Ukrainian counterpart, through the International Emergencies Fund on the day the conflict began. – but it is offered that “it is not enough”.
“We have to help these people in the total lack of resources and path”, defended the official.
Ria Valadas made it clear that “this is a cash donation campaign” because it is currently not known how and if it is possible to get materials to Ukraine and who is able to distribute them.
He added that Caritas Portugal has been in contact with Caritas Ukraine and Caritas Poland, which are not asking for in-kind support.”because they don’t know what their tomorrow is“.
“What to serve at this moment is the most urgent capacity to receive financial support to keep having and that is what we are going to do, open the campaign of financial donations that we correspond to, in a situation of situation, at every moment of need that these people have”, explained.
He added that through money it is possible to do whatever is needed or to provide the necessary support “closer” instead of “going from here to there”, noting that, at the moment, Caritas in Poland and Ukraine have “completely basic needs” , both to house and to maintain with a minimum of subsistence.
According to Rita Valadas, there is a “Caritas network that supports Caritas Ukraine, but it does not have the resources alone to do so”, highlighting that this campaign will serve to “support the entire Caritas network along the way and, naturally, families to come here”.
A has the objective of “Protecting and Saving Lives” and, as it is protected by this, or campaign, “protecting people on the way and saving lives that are at great risk”, supporting those that each Caritas has to Ukrainian refugees.
Rita Valadas said that the campaign will run between the 7th and 7th and 30th of March, but they will continue as events evolve and take account of the money that is being raised.
On the Caritas website, all the means available to anyone who wants to help are available, either through the Multibancos network (Entity 22 222, reference 222 222 222) or directly through the Cáritas website, where the IBAN of the account that will be used for this campaign is available.
The official also said that Cárita Portugal will also develop work in support of refugees, through help with the families that host them, as well as working on the preparation of emergency reception with the Refugee Support Platform, while the various diocesan Cáritas are analyzing the ability to receive in emergency and in insertion.