Singapore, 12 December 2022 – To support vulnerable Ukrainian communities facing a harsh winter, the Singapore Red Cross is supporting various humanitarian initiatives. Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General/CEO, Singapore Red Cross (SRC) said, “As the conflict continues into winter, many Ukrainians have found themselves cut off from power sources and without electricity or power. We are working closely with donors and ground partners to support meaningful projects that will both bring some immediate relief, as well as have lasting impact.” 

Lighthouses; Singapore-designed Homes

To support Ukrainian communities this winter, SRC is contributing towards the rebuilding of homes and the powering of ‘lighthouses’ with generators. “Lighthouses” are warming points for people to come to keep warm, charge their communication and medical devices, and also serve as a care centre where vulnerable groups can have access to clean water, food packs and other basic necessities. Together with our partners, SRC will be supporting the purchase of six power generators and the associated fuel costs to keep the generators running. These generators are able to provide power and electricity for 750 people per day.

SRC is also supporting the construction of 10 modular houses that can withstand winter and other shocks, designed by Singaporean architects, and will continue to support single mothers, the elderly, and other vulnerable communities with daily necessities such as food and diapers.

Medical Equipping

Hospitals in Ukraine remain active in rendering health services to communities. However, many have suffered substantial damage and require assistance in continuing their services. Aside from the «Okhmatdyt» National Specialised Children’s Hospital, SRC has provided medical equipment and supplies such as an x-ray table, a shockwave physiotherapy device, and various medical supplies to other medical facilities in Odesa, Kyiv, and Uzhhorod. 

To assist with the mobility and delivery of medical services to communities who may not have access to healthcare facilities, SRC has procured one mobile medical clinic unit furnished with three expandable rooms for the Mykolaiv Regional Branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. The unit consists of an observation room, pharmacy, laboratory, and emergency room capable of doing minor surgeries. A portable x-ray machine is also available in the mobile medical clinic. Since July 2022, the clinic has been deployed daily in Mykolaiv City and Mykolaiv Oblast, providing primary medical treatments to between 300 to 400 residents or internally displaced persons (IDPs). To supplement the mobile medical clinic, 10 ambulances were procured to increase the mobility of healthcare services by the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. Over the past 2 months, these ambulances have been used for about 250 medical transportations, including medical evacuation and transportation of patients to specialised hospitals.

In addition, SRC is supporting mobile health groups who engage the communities in medical services, including the provision of equipment such as one ultrasound diagnostic machine, seven portable ultrasound diagnostic machines, and five ventilators.

Water & Sanitation

As displaced communities began to return to Ukraine, there has been an increased need for clean water and emergency filtration systems. Many of the infrastructure providing water to communities have been destroyed. SRC has provided two aquablock systems and two ROAMfilter systems to communities in Ukraine. SRC has also assisted with the coordination of a further 8 aquablock donations. AquaBlock is a community drinking water system that produces 1,500 litres of water per hour to support the daily requirements of up to 10,000 people, while the ROAMfilter systems are portable manual filtration systems able to produce over 200 litres of water per hour without the need for electricity. SRC is also in the midst of procuring further water filtration systems for communities in Ukraine.

Volunteers trained in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) also conducted training for Polish and Ukrainian volunteers on the basics of WASH and the proper usage of the filtration systems. 

Besides providing access to clean water to communities in Ukraine, SRC is also working with several volunteer-led groups to provide care packs containing hygiene items, baby kits and other essential items for mothers and new-born babies, the elderly, children and other vulnerable groups in Ukraine.