Samaritan's Purse opens up clinics for Ukrainian refugees
Vice president of operations for Samaritan's Purse, Edward Graham, joined 'Fox & Friends Weekend' to discuss the group's effort in helping Ukrainian refugees.
Samaritan's Purse, the North Carolina-based international Christian relief and evangelism organization, has reached a significant milestone: It has just crossed the threshold of 100 million pounds of food distributed in the war-torn country of Ukraine.
The organization shared the update with Fox News Digital on Monday.
Every week since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began on Feb. 24, the charitable group has been flying relief supplies and food to Ukraine for the scores of innocent people caught in the crosshairs of war.
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Rev. Franklin Graham, CEO and president of Samaritan's Purse, told Fox News Digital on Monday, "As winter sets in, things in Ukraine are only getting worse."
He said that "many areas have lost electricity and food is impossible to buy in eastern parts of the country [that are] closer to the fighting."
A man in Ukraine carries a bag of food distributed by Samaritan's Purse. (Samaritan's Purse)
He added, "Samaritan’s Purse has been buying and bringing food into the country every week. We are also receiving food from the World Food Program."
As of this week, Samaritan’s Purse has distributed more than 100 million pounds of food — or over 45,000 metric tons — to the people of Ukraine caught up in war. (Samaritan’s Purse)
Added Rev. Graham, "As of this week, we have distributed more than 100 million pounds (over 45,000 metric tons). We are working with our network of churches across Ukraine to distribute this food to people in need and remind them that God loves them."
"We need to continue to pray that God will work in the hearts of the leaders involved to bring an end to the conflict that has brought so much pain and devastation," he said.
Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, marks day no. 285 in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Every week, Samaritan’s Purse imports 1.4 million pounds of food into Ukraine, the organization said. (Samaritan’s Purse)
Each week, Samaritan's Purse has been bringing 1.4 million pounds of food into Ukraine, it reported.
"Stores and shops have closed, leaving no way for people to buy food."
On Monday, it reached the major threshold of having distributed 100 million pounds of food.
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The organization said that in dangerous areas, "stores and shops have closed, leaving no way for people to buy food."
Samaritan’s Purse has been helping the people of Ukraine since the earliest days of the war. (Samaritan’s Purse)
Many of the people "desperate for food can only take what they can carry — so the food is given to people in grocery bags," it said.
The group also told Fox News Digital, "Some of the brave pastors and church leaders that we are partnering with are also taking these food distributions into the conflict zone. They face dangerous conditions to reach distribution points."
Rev. Franklin Graham (at right) is shown earlier this year in one of the medical clinics his organization set up in Ukraine amid the war. (Samaritan's Purse)
The organization continued, "These unsung heroes take buses, vans and even their own vehicles loaded with food and other relief supplies from Samaritan’s Purse to people who are suffering deep in the conflict."
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The pastors "also offer to help those residents evacuate — and some people have been able to get to safety through these missions."
Rev. Graham himself has visited Ukraine twice since the conflict began. He is hoping to return sometime in January, the group said.
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Both sides in the war have been taking hits, as explosions rocked two Russian air bases on Monday and multiple Ukrainian cities sustained damage from missiles, The Wall Street Journal reported.
In Ukraine, people flooded into bomb shelters, including shelters set up in the underground transit system, as Russia rained missiles down into the country.
Ronn Blitzer of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
