Two weeks of war sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought about tremendous human suffering and devastation. Nearly 1,000 cities in Ukraine are without electricity, water and heat, and many lack access to medicine. Thousands of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers have been killed, and hundreds of civilians have been murdered through indiscriminate bombing, including along humanitarian evacuation routes. The large-scale movement of people fleeing the conflict could lead to the largest movement of refugees in Europe since 2015. The world is crying out for a ceasefire and an end to this conflict.
While targeted sanctions can sometimes be effective in pressuring governments toward diplomacy, many of the further responses to the conflict being considered right now—such as broader sanctions and sending troops or more weapons to Ukraine—will only deepen the crisis and make diplomacy more difficult. This will exacerbate the suffering for innocent civilians across the region. As people of faith, we must do what we can to support Ukraine directly by supporting this Ukraine Relief Fund, as well as advocate for a robust international humanitarian response.
The UN Refugee Agency now estimates as many as 7 million Ukrainians may be displaced internally, and up to 5 million could be displaced to nearby countries. If so, this would be three times the number of people displaced following Russia’s invasion and illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and five times the number of refugees that fled Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria in 2015-2016. Ukraine’s European neighbors will bear the brunt of this refugee influx and we must stand ready to support them.
Join us in urging the Biden administration to support Ukrainians here and abroad by:
Continuing all diplomatic efforts to bring about an immediate cease fire and the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Sending additional emergency humanitarian assistance in the form of financial support and operational personnel - not troops or more weapons that could draw the U.S. into the war.
Rebuilding a robust, well-resourced refugee program that can effectively process refugees from a variety of regions across the globe and raise the FY2023 refugee admissions cap to no less than 200,000.
Facilitating the immediate implementation of the March 3rd decision to designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukrainians
Granting Special Student Relief (SSR) to allow eligible students from Ukraine to remain in the U.S.