From President Frank H. Wu:

Unfortunately, since the time of the message that I sent to the campus community on February 23 about the crisis in Ukraine, the situation there has dramatically deteriorated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent attacks on civilians in many parts of the country. We deeply share the profound distress about the horrors perpetrated by the Putin regime, including its devastating impact on children, women, and men in the Ukraine, and on freedom and democracy everywhere.  
 
We can feel powerless as we watch news reports, witness horrific scenes, and hear firsthand accounts from those who are under attack and displaced from their homes. That is why I would like to share with you a list of relief organizations through which we can help those who are suffering in Ukraine and neighboring countries. 

  • Ukrainian Congress Committee of America is purchasing and preparing vital humanitarian aid provisions.
  • UNICEF is delivering lifesaving programs for affected children and families. 
  • Doctors without Borders is scaling up its medical and humanitarian response.
  • The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is providing direct cash assistance to those in need and helping to provide opportunities for resettlement in the United States. 
  • CARE’s Ukraine Crisis Fund aims to reach four million people with immediate aid and recovery, food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash assistance, prioritizing women and girls, families, and the elderly.
  • The International Rescue Committee is providing children and families with vital supplies (87% of all funds they collect goes directly to help those in need, only 8% to administration and 5% to fundraising).
  • GlobalGiving has set up a Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. 
 
Students who are directly affected by this crisis are welcome to contact Student Counseling Services at CounselingServices@qc.cuny.edu. Faculty and staff who may be experiencing heightened levels of anxiety are encouraged to reach out to our Employee Assistance Plan Provider, CCA. They are available 24/7 at 800-833-8707 or by logging in here (company code: “cuny”).

On our campus, we continue to keep the plight of Ukraine as a focus. On March 9, Keena Lipsitz (Political Science) moderated a panel of faculty experts Elissa Bemporad (History), Julie George (Political Science), Igor Kuskovsky (Physics), Peter Liberman (Political Science), and Thomas Ort (History) providing insight into Russia’s devastating war against Ukraine. The discussion, presented over Zoom, was sponsored by the History and Political Science Departments. On March 14, the Center for Jewish Studies presented a special program, “The Jewish Community of Ukraine and the Current Crisis.” During this program, also presented via Zoom, David E. Fishman (Jewish Theological Seminary of America) analyzed the state of the Jewish community in Ukraine and its reactions to the unfolding events.

We continue to keep those suffering in the Ukraine in our thoughts, efforts, and prayers.

Stay safe and well.
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