Old North News

Two faith-based relief nonprofits from North and South Carolina are journeying across the globe to assist the citizens of Ukraine.

One of these nonprofits is Samaritan's Purse, a North Carolina-based disaster relief organization. Samaritan's Purse is sending 24 volunteers to three of the countries that border Ukraine: Romania, Poland and Moldova. There they will assist local authorities in helping Ukrainians flee the country, providing them with anything they may need, according to CBS 17.

“This fighting that we’ve seen is tragic,” Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, told CBS 17. “As the fighting continues, there’s going to be more and more and more people coming across those borders. We want to comfort the people, love the people and help the people as much as we possibly can.” 

The teams assisting border authorities will have medics on standby. Additionally, Samaritan's Purse is preparing to pack up a mobile hospital to help with its aid efforts. Graham says that the mobile hospital can be put on a cargo plane in Greensboro and sent to Eastern Europe in a matter of hours.

The other nonprofit is South Carolina's Water Mission, which aims to bring water, sanitation and hygiene solutions to developing countries and disaster areas. Water Mission has sent a four-person team to Ukraine to assess the water, sanitation and hygiene need of the thousands fleeing the country, according to NBC News 2. The team will assist other humanitarian organizations.

"We anticipate a drastic increase in displaced people seeking safety from the ongoing conflict," George Green, Water Mission's CEO and president, told NBC News 2. "Our team is well-versed in quickly mobilizing and working with partners on the ground to bring emergency safe water systems when and where they are needed most.”

Samaritan's Purse has provided crisis response aid across the globe for 52 years. Water Mission has provided water solutions for developing countries and disaster sites since 2001.