Update situation in the Ukraine and the Jewish refugees

This week we brought again a number of Jewish refugees to Kiev Airport, who are leaving for good to Israel. They stayed with us in Kiev for a period of two weeks to a month. Saying goodbye is very emotional. Often they tell us: “You have saved us!”.

In total we have already assisted 75 Jewish refugees from Eastern Ukraine, through Kiev, with their emigration to Israel.

At this very moment we have the care over 64 Jewish refugees that are staying in and around Kiev. Once their documents are completed, they leave for good to Israel. Many of them suffer from traumas from the violence they experienced in their hometowns. In the coming days more Jewish refugees will come to Kiev, and we will host them in different places.

At this moment over 250 Jewish refugees are staying in the Jewish orphanage Alumim in Zhitomir, as well as in the Jewish orphanage Tikva in Odessa and in many other places. Nobody knows the exact numbers and locations.

Countless Jews have fled from Doneck and Luganck to the port city Marioepol. Some days ago though, heavy fighting started in this city. Last night more than 50 Ukrainian soldiers were killed there in combat. Now a wave of refugees will come from this city, which has 500,000 inhabitants.

A new wave of Jewish refugees who want to make Aliyah will be absorbed in the eastern city Dnepropetrovsk (over one million citizens) in the coming days. It depends on the documents they possess, how fast they can make Aliyah. Especially for the older people (who don’t have a passport), it will take longer. Moreover, the process of getting a passport takes longer, due to the many applications. The Jewish Agency asked Christians for Israel to pay for the shelter for the Jewish Refugees, until the moment they can leave for Israel.

The average costs of 1 Jewish refugee staying with us costs and extra of 250 euro for the period between 2 weeks and 1 month they stay with us! (this is not included the costs 135 euro of bringing 1 person to the embassy and the airport).

Christians for Israel helps where help is needed. Many Jews now realize that they didn’t take our previous warnings to get prepared for Aliyah seriously enough. For many it is now a getaway to Israel without proper opportunity to prepare for it. They literally leave everything behind.

The rabbis who are responsible for the provinces of Luganck and Doneck have fled from their cities, and are for now staying in Zhitomir and Kiev.

Once arrived in Israel, many of the Jews pass their absorption process into Israeli society through the project ‘First Home in the Homeland’. 42 kibbutzim joined in this program.

We appreciate your prayers for the situation in Ukraine. It is important we can do our work under His protection (Psalm 91)!

Christians for Israel Aliyah-fieldworkers, Ukraine.

Jewish refugees from the East of Ukraine now making aliyah from Kiev airport after our team looked after them for more than 2 weeks. You only can see happy faces because the 'war' for them they faced in the East is over!

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