Mariupol: Caritas-Spes, reported that seven people, including two staff members were killed when a Russian tank fired on a Caritas office in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Monday. The organisation condemned the attack and offered condolences to the family of the bereaved.

The deaths were also reported by Caritas Ukraine, which has offered humanitarian assistance through the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church since 1992 and oversees the office in Mariupol.

Caritas-Spes, which means “Love” and “Hope” in Latin, is a charitable mission of the Roman Catholic Church. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Bishops of Ukraine in May 1995 and was later registered by the State Committee on Religious Issues in September 1996. Caritas was the first organisation to offer humanitarian assistance after Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Since the Russian invasion on February 24, approximately 64 local Caritas centers and multiple parish communities have been actively responding to the current Humanitarian Crisis The two Caritas organisations, Caritas Ukraine and Caritas-Spes, are providing Internally-displaced people on the move with essential information, food, drinking water and personal hygiene kits, as well as a safe and secure place to sleep, eat and wash themselves. Caritas staff and volunteers also provide safe transport for displaced families to reach their loved ones.

Both Caritas-Spes and Caritas Ukraine belong to the international network overseen by Caritas Internationalis, a Vatican-based umbrella body. The president of Caritas Internationalis is the Vatican Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

Despite the precarious security situation and difficulties, Caritas continues its humanitarian work in Ukraine.