Ukraine

GOAL was previously operational in Eastern Ukraine from 2015 – 2017, following the 2014 conflict, when the agency assisted thousands of displaced people in the Donbas region with food and financial assistance.

Returning in March 2022 following the Russian invasion, GOAL is scaling up its conflict response programme directly and through local partners.

In addition to the delivery of emergency aid (food, hygiene and first aid kits) and following receipt of Irish Aid funding, GOAL's work will cover the provision of information sessions on legal and protection issues, individual counselling and dissemination of information materials to internally displaced people. Mental health and psychological support services will encompass online support and individual sessions and group therapy sessions.

What we do in Ukraine

Emergency Response

GOAL ready to react

Through the support of the Irish public and corporate partners, GOAL was able to deploy our Emergency Response team to assess needs of displaced people within days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Our initial assessment identified that those disembarking buses and trains and crossing the Ukraine-Poland border needed hygiene and personal sanitation items.

We engaged with a local partner to assist in supply and distribution, whilst ensuring that partner staff complied with GOAL safeguarding policies. All hygiene kits were equipped with a complaints card and hotline number to ensure recipients knew where to communicate any concerns or complaints.

GOAL is now embarking on a larger programme with the support of Irish Aid, offering legal and personal rights advice to internally displaced people and refugees, to ensure they are aware of their entitlements, protections and where to access critical services. Access to sexual and reproductive health services, as well as mental health and psychological support services, is critical in such settings. Through our work with our local partner in Ukraine, we are also providing this vital link.

GOAL will provide these services in temporary shelters across Ukraine in Kyiv, Cherkasy and Poltava in with possible additional coverage in Chernihiv and Sumy.

Our achievements

GOAL, in partnership with PAH, delivered €250k worth of food, hygiene and first aid kits and defibrillators, for distribution at border towns, during April and May 2022.
GOAL received funding of €500,000 from Irish Aid at end April 2022, to provide intervention focused on two key areas – Legal Aid and Mental Health and Psychological Support Services (MHPSS).
Kathuna Murgulia was appointed as Ukraine Response Director and commenced her role, in GOAL’s operational base in Lviv at end April 2022.