Following our ‘Warmth for Ukraine’ emergency appeal earlier this month, it is our privilege to share with you an update on this initiative.

The response to the Order of Malta’s worldwide call for support for the citizens of Kyiv has been truly overwhelming and deeply heartening. So far over $500,000 has been raised (including $10,000 from the Australian Association) and is already translating into practical, life-sustaining assistance for thousands of people.

We would like to highlight the remarkable speed and efficiency with which the Polish and Ukrainian emergency teams of the Order of Malta have mobilised. Within days, they secured initial supplies and organised the full logistics chain — from procurement, onloading and transport from Warsaw, to warehousing, sorting, repackaging, and final delivery.

The first shipment arrived on Monday at the Order of Malta warehousing facility in Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine). There, the supplies are being repackaged for onward distribution to approximately 2,500 households (an estimated 8,000–10,000 adults and children) in the worst affected areas of Kyiv. Final distribution is expected to take place this weekend. Please find attached some of the photos of the first transport taken over the past few days.

Each household package contains:

• 1 portable gas stove
• 8 gas cartridges
• 1 hot water bottle
• 5 packs of chemical foot warmers

Each stove and gas cartridge means the ability for a family to prepare warm meals and maintain a source of heat during blackouts.

In parallel, an additional shipment — consisting of 100 cast-iron wood-burning heating stoves and several hundred kilograms of warm clothing — has already arrived in Kyiv. Distribution is taking place with the assistance of Caritas Ukraine.

Due to limited availability of gas cartridges on the Ukrainian market, we have also secured an additional truckload of 48,300 gas cartridges to ensure continuity of support. This shipment is scheduled to depart tomorrow for temporary warehousing in Ivano-Frankivsk.

While our Polish and Ukrainian relief teams continue to manage logistics on the ground, preparations for further transports are already underway. With portable gas stoves now in short supply in Poland, we are actively securing alternative supply channels and evaluating additional emergency equipment, including gas heaters.

At the same time, several complementary initiatives are being pursued to maximise impact:

• Careful coordination with partners in Ukraine to avoid storage bottlenecks and strengthen last-mile distribution capacity.
• Potential support from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reduce logistics costs.
• VAT optimisation mechanisms to ensure that donated funds go as far as possible.
• Ongoing negotiations with suppliers to achieve better pricing.

The project remains flexible and responsive to real needs on the ground. As the situation evolves, we will continue to adapt our efforts accordingly.

Thank you to all our donors who have supported this appeal. Your generosity is making a tangible difference — bringing warmth, dignity, and hope to those enduring extremely difficult conditions.

Gifts $2 and more are tax deductible for Australian taxpayers

 

Other ways to donate:

• Direct Deposit:
  • The Order of Malta
  • BSB 083-453
  • Account number: 448 881 897
  • Description: Ukraine

• Post: Cheques payable to ‘Order of Malta‘ sent to Order of Malta, PO Box 79, Caringbah NSW 1495
• Phone: Call 02 9331 8477 (please note the office is closed weekends and public holidays)