Evangelicals across Europe offer support for Ukrainian victims of war

A list of efforts and links to get involved.

  Ukrainian refugees at the Palanca crossing at the border with Moldova, March 3, 2022.  (photo credit: AVISHAG SHAAR YASHUV/IFCJ)
Ukrainian refugees at the Palanca crossing at the border with Moldova, March 3, 2022.
(photo credit: AVISHAG SHAAR YASHUV/IFCJ)

Dozens of Evangelical churches and non-profit organizations across Europe are mobilizing to support Ukrainian victims of war both by reaching out to personal Christian contacts in Ukraine and through more formal efforts.

The Christian website Evangelical Focus shared a list of some of these efforts to encourage Christians to get involved. They ranged from groups taking in refugees to fundraising efforts and everything in between.

The Romanian organization Remar SOS has set up a refugee camp, according to its website. Also, the Christian organization OM in Hungary is transporting refugees across that border to safety. And Innovista in Moldova is also supporting refugees.

"Help OM Hungary help the people fleeing the war in Ukraine," a member of OM posted on its Facebook page last week. "OM Hungary has a big bus, the Bus4Life. With this bus we want to go to one of the border crossings between Hungary and Ukraine."

A United Nations official told Reuters on Thursday that the number of refugees has passed a million.

All of these organizations are providing food and other supplies through the support of local churches and ministries. Similarly, in the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Spain, Evangelical groups are collecting winter clothes and medicines for those in need.

The European Baptist Federation, European Mission Fellowship, Hungary’s OM and European Christian Mission are all running fundraising campaigns for similar needs.

Finally, Christians across the region are praying.

“All kind of Christian platforms continue to call to prayer,” Evangelical Focus wrote. “Groups like Lausanne Europe, Revive Europe, Italian Evangelical Alliance, Together for Europe with the German Evangelical Alliance and church denominations are holding online prayer meetings these days, which often include testimonies of Ukrainian and Russian Christians.”

"More than anything, Ukraine needs our prayers," wrote the European Mission Fellowship on its website. "Our workers in the country minister to thousands of students, children, orphans and families through various programs, in addition to supporting several church plants. They all need our prayers. We encourage you to not only pray for them, but also share their prayer requests with your family, friends and church. Let’s stand with them in their need."

These efforts are in addition to those being made by authorities and other volunteers, who have pitched tents to supply medical aid and process asylum papers at border crossings throughout central Europe, Reuters said.

Israel has sent several if its own teams, as well.

Israel’s Dr. Dorit Nitzan, the World Health Organization’s former regional emergencies director in Europe, left Thursday on a humanitarian aid mission to Poland through the NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief organization. 

She and her team of physicians, nurses, social workers and a coordination expert from hospitals around Israel are expected to be in the area for at least the next two months.

“The situation is grave,” Nitzan said in a release. “Many of the refugees are elderly, women and children. They are exhausted, sick, injured and traumatized. Ukraine’s neighbors have opened their hearts and homes to these refugees, and we are joining in this enormous and critical undertaking to help those in need.”

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a Jewish humanitarian organization funded largely by Christian Zionists, is on the ground in Moldova where they are aiding refugees and preparing to bring Jewish refugees to Israel.

United Hatzalah and many other organizations and individuals are also on the ground.