Lviv, Ukraine — Direct Relief announced a $1 million grant to the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center, the largest facility of its kind in Ukraine. The grant will enable the center to procure critically needed rehabilitation equipment and provide training to center personnel, helping to improve the quality of care and support provided to patients injured by war.
During the full-scale invasion, more than 7,000 wounded citizens received help at the Unbroken Center, including military, civilians, adults, and children.
“We are very grateful to Direct Relief for the support of unbroken Ukrainians,” said Oleg Samchuk, General Director of the First Lviv Medical Union. “With this funding, we will get even more opportunities for the treatment and rehabilitation of our people. I hope that our cooperation, at the heart of which is helping people, will be extended.”
The World Health Organization estimates that 14.5 million people in Ukraine need health assistance, while more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians have suffered injuries since the war began, according to the United Nations. While many of the injured will require long-term rehabilitative care, Ukraine’s healthcare infrastructure is severely diminished, with more than 600 medical facilities destroyed in the fighting.
“Ukraine is facing multiple challenges that extend beyond the battlefield, including those experienced by healthcare providers targeted by shelling and people injured in the fighting,” said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief President and CEO. “We recognize that, for many, these injuries and trauma will last a lifetime, and that is why Direct Relief is committing substantial resources to supporting the important work of the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center.”
Direct Relief, among the largest charitable providers of medicines to Ukraine in 2022, has delivered more than $640 million in medical aid totaling more than 1,000 tons to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and local healthcare providers.
About Unbroken: Treatment of the war-affected Ukrainians takes place within the framework of the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center. This is a unique place where adults and children affected by the war can receive comprehensive qualified medical care. It includes reconstructive surgery, orthopedics, and robotic prosthetics. Here, prostheses are not only fitted but also manufactured. In addition, the Center provides physical, psychological, and psychosocial rehabilitation of injured military and civilians. The project is implemented by the First Lviv Medical Union and the Lviv City Council with the support of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Learn more by visiting https://unbroken.org.ua/.
About Direct Relief: A humanitarian organization committed to improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources throughout the world to communities in need—without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. In 2022, Direct Relief has provided more than $1.8 billion in medical aid and $50 million in cash funding to healthcare providers in more than 90 countries — from the U.S. to Ukraine.
