Vatican City: As Ukraine endures its fourth winter since the war began, Pope Leo XIV has responded to urgent appeals from local church leaders by sending a truckload of medicines and electric heaters to help families struggling to survive the cold and ongoing violence.
The shipment, valued at more than one million euros, was organized through the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and made possible largely through support from the Banco Farmaceutico ETS Foundation. The supplies include essential medicines needed to treat civilians affected by the war.
The humanitarian situation remains severe across many regions. Families have been separated, homes destroyed, and thousands forced to flee. Women and children often live far from husbands serving on the front lines, while many communities continue to suffer from damaged infrastructure.
Beyond medical needs, the harsh winter has created a serious heating crisis. Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk of Kharkiv Zaporizhzhia appealed for help after military strikes destroyed energy facilities, leaving more than 800 families without heat. With repairs unlikely in the near future, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, coordinated the purchase and delivery of heating equipment.
On February 24, hundreds of oil filled electric heaters purchased in Italy arrived in Zaporizhzhia. More than 1000 units are expected to provide warmth for families forced into shelters and temporary housing.
Despite logistical challenges, church officials say the supplies will be distributed quickly across bomb damaged areas.
The aid reflects Pope’s appeal made during the Angelus prayer on February 22, when he remembered the victims of the war, broken families, and immense suffering, and renewed his call for peace. He urged the faithful to pray that the long awaited gift of peace may soon shine upon the world.