Joni and Friends Helps Ukrainian Refugees with Disabilities Flee to Safety 

Agoura Hills, CA – April 11, 2022:

The second month of war continues in Ukraine. As Russian attacks devastate the nation, many Ukrainians have fled, and still, more continue to flee. The United Nations Refugee Agency says over 3.5 million people have left the country since the Russian invasion began. More than two million people have poured into Poland alone.

Since the beginning of the war, Joni and Friends, an international ministry to people with disabilities, has worked with in-country partner Galyna to evacuate and care for Ukrainians with disabilities.

Joni and Friends is currently organizing its 9th evacuation caravan of Ukrainians with disabilities and their families. Each caravan so far has rescued between 50 and 60 people, individuals with disabilities and their caregivers and family members, from hot spots of violence across Ukraine.

Joni and Friends President, John Nugent, recently visited the Ukraine-Poland border and met with Anna, a Joni and Friends partner in Poland. Since the war broke out, Anna has pivoted from planning International Family Retreats for families living with disability to coordinating care and provision for Ukrainian refugees impacted by disability.

The Joni and Friends team in Poland receives caravans of refugees as they cross the border from Ukraine. Each refugee receives a hot meal and a hotel room while transport is arranged for a longer-term stay with our partners in Germany or the Netherlands.

Anna says that she has seen God’s provision for the great and rising needs of the refugee community and those who receive them. “God is faithful. He gives help and supplies.” Anna has watched as Polish, universities, student hostels, and homes are open their doors to shelter people from Ukraine. “Two groups of people stayed in my home. It’s from day to day,” said Anna.

For Ukrainian refugees, particularly those living with disability, needs go far beyond safe passage into Poland. Galyna recently described the mood among evacuees as they travel to the border:

“Many of them are sad because they are leaving their country. They do not know how the situation will go. They don’t know how long they are going to stay there in a foreign country. And I also understand that if the war continues for months, the European countries will not be able to take care of all the people with disabilities and other refugees. And that’s something that frightens me, and something that they also understand.”

Joni and Friends sees the long-term needs of the people flooding out of Ukraine, especially those with disabilities. The organization’s Netherlands location has already welcomed 118 evacuees impacted by disability, and is preparing to receive more, up to its 400-person capacity.

In the Netherlands and other locations, Joni and Friends plans, with the help of partners and local churches, to provide shelter, hygiene products, medical attention, clothing, food, and counseling for psychological trauma.

At the outset of the war, more than 2.7 million Ukrainians reported living with disabilities. By the time the war ends, that number will sadly be much higher; the needs will multiply. Joni and Friends commits to the road ahead, long as it may be, to rescue, care for, and meet the needs of Ukraine’s people with disabilities.

About Joni and Friends: For more than 40 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope of the Gospel and practical care to people living with disability around the globe. Ministry programs include Joni’s House, Wheels for the World™, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training. Joni and Friends also delivers daily inspirational media through radio programs and podcasts.

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