Gift of the Givers to work with South Africans in Ukraine to supply aid

Pietermaritzburg-based relief group The Gift of the Givers says it's been communicating with a South African family in a small town there to distribute the supplies on its behalf.

The organisation says the package comprises emergency medical and non-medical assistance to people who've been displaced within the country's borders.

The group's Dr  Imtiaz Sooliman says their plan is to move food and much-needed goods via reliable supply lines and secure corridors.

He says they'll fly the supplies from South Africa to Poland.

From there, it will be up to trusted communities and organisations on the ground to get the aid into Ukraine.

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"We also think there also people inside Ukraine buying items in Europe and we are guiding those people on what to do because of being used to these kinds of disasters, from previous experience. 

"We are funding them to assist them with goods in Europe, also transport costs, fuel and labour charges for people who are doing distribution inside Ukraine,” says Sooliman.

He says they want to see how they can assist South Africans desperate to return home:

"We are looking at the repatriation for those students who want to come home. In addition to the South Africans, the people that are really in trouble are those from the African continent.

“There is no support base, no mechanism or anything. So, depending on funding and how the projects develop, we look at having some of the students coming back to their own countries.”