Dear EELA friends:
The ongoing Russian military aggression against Ukraine in breach of international law and its serious humanitarian impact are a cause of significant concern to all of us at EELA. Many of our members have friends, family and colleagues who are directly affected by these shocking events. Our thoughts are with them and with all people in Ukraine who now see their lives and everything they possess threatened for defending their democratic system and because they want to live in peace and in freedom and under the rule of law. We are deeply concerned about this disastrous and unexpected development which will profoundly change the political landscape in Europe and beyond.
Our thoughts are, in particular, with our legal colleagues in Ukraine. EELA’s board will soon discuss opening EELA to members from European countries that are not (yet) members of the European Union. (Any change to our constitution to facilitate broader membership would of course be subject to democratic vote by EELA members in the usual way.) We do hope that we will soon be in a position to welcome members from Ukraine – perhaps as early as for our Athens 2022 conference for which we have already received over 250 registrations. Let us hope that the impressive solidarity around the World and the pressure of the new sanctions regime will help to end this war in the very near future.
We know that many of you want to help. EELA as a non-profit organization with a very specific legal purpose is not in a position to make any donations – but all of you and your firms can help. We have listed charities below in case that assists.
Please do let us know if you think EELA should do more in the current situation. We are always open to your comments and ideas.
All the best – and see you in Athens
Klaus-Stefan Hohenstatt, EELA chair
Anna Jerndorf, EELA vice chair
Please note that neither EELA nor its representatives are able to offer any checks or assurances in relation to the information provided below or to accept any responsibility regarding any donation any individual or firm may choose to make. Please do make your own enquiries as you consider appropriate.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The ICRC has a special remit, derived from the Geneva Conventions of 1949, to ensure humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict. Their access to conflict zones and experience of providing this protection is unrivalled. The ICRC has been working in Ukraine since 2014 and has over 600 staff members on the ground, providing emergency assistance such as food, water, and other essential items, supporting hospitals and primary healthcare facilities with medical equipment and emergency preparedness, repairing water stations and supporting households to rehabilitate their damaged homes and helping families separated by the conflict reconnect.
Read more about the ICRC’s work in Ukraine: https://www.icrc.org/en/humanitarian-crisis-ukraine
Donate to the ICRC Ukraine appeal: https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/ukraine-0
Save the Children
Save the Children’s work saves and improves children’s lives around the world. They work to ensure children have healthcare, food and shelter, as well as learning and child protection services when children need it most. Through programming, emergency responses and advocacy, they put the most vulnerable children first, tackling the barriers to survival, learning and protection. Their current focus in Ukraine is:
- Distributing essential supplies and winter kits of clothing and blankets as temperatures plunge below freezing
- Providing cash and vouchers assistance to families to meet basic needs like food, rent and medicines
- Offering vital mental health and psycho-social support to children and their families
- Providing access to safe, inclusive, quality education
- Addressing needs across Health and Nutrition; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; and Shelter as part of the first phase of the response
Donate to Save the Children UK (currency in GBP) https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/donate/single/donation-single-00006
or donate to Save the Children International (currency in USD) Emergency Ukraine | Save the Children
UNICEF
UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, works to build a better world for every child, every day, everywhere. UNICEF provides more children with clean water, life-saving food and vaccines, education and protection from violence than any other humanitarian organisation. UNICEF teams have been on the ground in Ukraine since conflict first began, providing access to health, education and child protection services for vulnerable children and their families. Their current focus in Ukraine involves:
- Helping to provide families with access to clean water and nutritious food.
- Helping to make sure that child health and protection services are sustained.
- Working with partners and the UNHCR to assess the refugee situation across neighbouring countries.
Donate to UNICEF (GBP): https://www.unicef.org.uk/donate/donate-now-to-protect-children-in-ukraine/.