In response to the worsening humanitarian crises in Ukraine and Pakistan, The Rotary Foundation Trustees voted in January to create two new targeted funds to continue offering lifesaving aid to people who have been affected. The Ukraine Response Fund and the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund will be separate from the general Disaster Response Fund, which had previously supported relief efforts for the war in Ukraine and devastating flooding in Pakistan.....

"Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Rotarians have already shown amazingly generous support to the people of Ukraine. This new temporary fund is prompted by the ongoing, urgent need and the wish of Rotarians to keep making a difference for the people there," says Trustee Chair Ian Riseley. "At the same time, the dreadful floods in Pakistan have caused extreme hardships for people there, and the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund will help with the recovery."

According to the United Nations, about 18 million Ukrainians, or 40 percent of the population, required humanitarian assistance by the end of 2022. Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and civilian targets have caused massive destruction and death, leaving millions of people without reliable access to electricity, heating, and water. As of mid-January, nearly 8 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded across Europe, and many are in dire need of help.

In Pakistan, flash floods during the 2022 monsoon season affected more than 33 million people, washing away 2 million homes and displacing 8 million people. About one-third of the country was submerged. By early January, UNICEF said as many as 4 million children still lived near contaminated flood waters, putting their health at risk.

To alleviate that suffering, Riseley calls on Rotary members to support aid projects by contributing to the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund and the Ukraine Response Fund once they are set up. Contributions to both funds will be accepted through 31 December 2023 and will be spent by 30 June 2024.

The Trustees specify that donations to both funds may include District Designated Funds. Unused money will be transferred to the general Disaster Response Fund on 30 June 2024.

District 2232 (Belarus and Ukraine) can simultaneously apply for three Ukraine Response Grants of up to $100,000 each. Districts bordering Ukraine can apply for a grant of up to $100,000 at any one time. Other districts are eligible for one grant of up to $25,000 at any one time.

As for the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund, Districts 3271 and 3272 (Pakistan) can apply for two grants simultaneously of up to $50,000 each.

"Having seen how generously Rotary members donated to both causes in 2022 through the Disaster Response Fund, the Trustees knew this opportunity for continuing support would be met with enthusiasm," Riseley says.

For more information and to contribute, visit my.rotary.org/donate.