The situation in Ukraine

Dan Green, CEO and director general of World ORT, wrote the following news release about the five schools and regional office in Kiev:

World ORT has learned with dismay and great concern about the escalation overnight of the security situation in Ukraine.

We are in constant contact with our regional office in Kiev and with our five schools and two affiliated schools in Ukraine — Zaporozhe and Odessa in the eastern and southern regions; and Chernivtsi, Kyiv, and Belaya Tserkov in the north and west — and are co-operating fully with our partners in the region.

We have been assured that all of our schools’ students are now remaining at home and we are not aware that there have been any casualties. The situation is inevitably causing much stress and anxiety to our students and we are grateful to our teaching and professional staff in our schools who are providing them with support while also contending with their own concerns for the safety of their families.

In view of the current uncertain situation in the country, our students, teachers and staff have limited mobility and are not yet able to consider evacuating to safety.

World ORT and our partners continue to monitor the situation and in the meantime are taking all necessary steps, including raising essential funds, to ensure that we are ready and prepared to provide all necessary assistance, whether it be humanitarian needs or logistical support.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the members of our ORT family in Ukraine and we hope for a speedy and peaceful end to the current situation.