After seeing pictures of rows of bodies in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, put his analysis of the terrible images in one word, “genocide.” Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, nearly 5 million people have been forced to escape the country. Even more have been internally displaced, leading to one of the most significant refugee crises in world history. For the Ukrainians who have stayed, they face the constant threat of Russian bombs and a lack of basic necessities like food and medical supplies. However, the impacts of this horrifying war do not stop at the border of Ukraine. Ukraine, a massive exporter of grain, looks unlikely to produce nearly the same amount of grain as in previous years because of the refugee crisis and subsequent lack of workers, and the grain that is exported is likely to be blockaded by Russia. These facts have led the United Nations to warn of a potential “global famine”. Each of these crises - war, genocide, refugees, and famine - are terrible by themselves, but combined, they form one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century. The horrifying nature of the effects of this war has led many students, including myself, to ask, how can students at Needham High help mitigate the impact of Putin’s war? Here are two ways.
The most obvious way to help Ukraine is to donate to aid organizations that help Ukraine. Some NHS clubs have already raised money for Ukraine: the NHS Political Activism Club held a humanitarian bake sale for UNICEF, and the National Honors Society conducted a fundraising drive that raised money for the Ukraine Relief Fund of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Both aid organizations do outstanding work trying to alleviate the effects of the Russian invasion on the Ukrainian people. Other notable international organizations include the Voices of Children, which supports children in Ukraine with the psychological effects of the war, and the Global Empowerment Mission, which works directly on the ground to create welcome centers with food and other aid to help Ukrainians. Many aid organizations like the Red Cross are also looking for clothing donations to help Ukrainian refugees, many of whom are forced to flee with little other than the clothes on their backs. Ultimately, donating to aid organizations helps alleviate some of the stress and pain of war that Ukrainians face daily.
Another way that students at Needham High can help the Ukrainian people is by maintaining political pressure on Biden and Congress to continue providing aid and military supplies to Ukraine. In recent weeks, Congress has passed bills giving billions of dollars in military and humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people. This aid is critical in limiting the Russian military’s advances and helping ease the pain and suffering that Russian occupiers have inflicted on the Ukrainian people. Additionally, US humanitarian aid ensures that Ukraine will have the necessary medical and food supplies, so its citizens will not stave or needlessly die. Unfortunately, as time goes on, Congress will likely lose interest in helping Ukraine and turn their attention to another issue. However, we can not allow Congress to lose interest because it will increase the pain of the Ukrainian people. Therefore, it is paramount that we keep the political pressure, through methods like protest and contacting congressional representatives, on Congress to continue providing aid to Ukraine.
Collectively, we, as an international community, have a human responsibility to help the Ukrainian people who have been inflicted with extreme difficulties that have come as a result of Putin's genocidal war.