Samaritan's Purse Transports Displaced Ukrainians From Poland To Canada Amidst Russian Invasion

The faith group transported over a dozen displaced Ukrainians in Warsaw to Canada, where relatives awaited.

Samaritan's Purse, a Christian international disaster relief group, organized transport for displaced Ukrainians in Poland to fly to Canada, where they would stay with relatives and friends on temporary work visas that would last up to three years. The organization, which is led by evangelist and missionary, and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Franklin Graham, transported 28 displaced Ukrainains who arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Sunday to escape the Russian invasion.

"We were made aware that there were people who had family in Canada, but didn't have a way to get here," Samaritan's Purse Canada spokesperson Frank King told CBC News. "These were refugees who got out of Ukraine, and needed to get to Canada to be with relatives."

Also read: Franklin Graham Details Samaritan's Purse Humanitarian Effort Amid Putin's Invasion of Ukraine

Samaritan's Purse Continues Its Global Humanitarian Effort Amidst the Russian Invasion

Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced by the Russian invasion that sparked on February 24. Three months later, many are still fleeing and are in need of humanitarian relief. Most refugees traveled to Poland, where they later fly to other Western countries to relocate with the help of organizations such as Samaritan's Purse.

The evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization, which is equipped with a Douglas DC-8 aircraft, first delivered 18 tonnes of emergency relief supplies to Warsaw, Poland to send via truck to Ukraine. The return flight then provided passage for 28 Ukrainians who arrived at Pearson airport's Signature Flight Terminal on Sunday afternoon. The displaced Ukrainians will stay with relatives in Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, and other Canadian cities. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Samaritan's Purse has airlifted 300 tonnes of relief supplies across 13 airlift missions.

Displaced Ukrainians Still Have Family Left Back Home

Retired professor of political science of the University of Waterloo, Ivan Jaworsky shared that while he's grateful for the support of Canadians for the displaced Ukrainians, they must keep in mind that they are still dealing with the trauma of war and having to leave behind loved ones. He urged those who are receiving the displaced Ukrainians to be mindful that they are "coming with a lot of baggage, not only physical baggage, but mental baggage as well."

Last week, the United Nations reported that the number of people who have fled Ukraine to escape the Russian invasion has surpassed six million, Reuters said. It has become Europe's worst refugee crisis since the end of World War II. The Russian invasion triggered a massive displacement of people, with up to eight million within Ukraine alone, as per the latest International Organization for Migration (IOM) report.

Most Ukrainian refugees have headed towards countries such asPoland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, where governments and humanitarian organizations have quickly set up to provide them with support. Poland alone has seen more than 3.3 million people arrive, most of which were women and children.

Related Article: Hundreds Of Samaritan's Purse Volunteers Lend A Helping Hand To Flooding Victims In Germany