East Anglia: CAFOD talk on Ukraine

Image: Caritas Ukraine

Source: Diocese of East Anglia

Since the current conflict in Ukraine started in February 2022 the Diocese of East Anglia has generously supported the Ukrainian people through prayer, giving to emergency appeals and welcoming refugees.

To find out more about the current situation in the country Caritas East Anglia and CAFOD in East Anglia invite you to a talk from CAFOD's Ukraine Emergency Programme Officer Henry Wilson Smith at St George's Parish Hall, Sprowston Rd, Norwich NR3 4HZ on Saturday 17 January 2026. Coffee will be available from 10.30am and the event will end around noon.

Henry works closely with CAFOD's partners in Ukraine and the surrounding region - Caritas, Depaul (a member of the Vincentian Family), and Jesuit Refugee Service - who have been providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians displaced or affected by the war since 2022. CAFOD's work ranges from large-scale food and shelter assistance covering the breadth of the country and delivered in collaboration with the global Caritas Network, to more focused interventions delivered by case workers and psychologists to help the hardest-hit families get back on their feet. Since 2022, CAFOD programmes have reached over 205,000 Ukrainians with emergency aid enabled by the unprecedented support of the UK public.

As international media headlines are dominated by ceasefire negotiations, ordinary Ukrainians are more focused on food and heating amid the arrival of winter. This year has seen the most damage inflicted to Ukraine's energy system by Russian Forces since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, and Ukrainians are already enduring energy blackouts of up to 14 hours per day as temperatures are expected to drop as low as minus 20C in the coming months. The economy in frontline regions is devastated and those who remain are often unable to find work. With millions already displaced across Ukraine and abroad in Europe, more new households are forced to leave their homes every day as Russia's slow, grinding advance continues in the east.

In this context, and with international funding for Ukraine dropping precipitously in 2025, Ukrainian aid organisations face impossible demands. "During my latest trip to Ukraine I met the Caritas teams delivering services near the frontline in eastern Ukraine," said Henry. "These areas experience multiple air raid alarms each day, and you can often hear artillery from the frontlines. International NGO staff struggle to get approval from their security teams to even visit these areas, and yet the Caritas teams are there every day, delivering life-saving aid with compassion, patience, and care. It's easy for us to forget that Ukrainian aid workers have also endured almost four years of war. Their sleep is ruined by nightly air alarms and bombardments, they have seen their family members enlisted in the army, and many have also been displaced from their homes. Despite this, they continue to work to support the most vulnerable members of their community who are experiencing the horrors of war."

David Livesey, Caritas East Anglia Administrator said: "The War in Ukraine is one of the many current situations in which the Church, through the work of Caritas Internationalis of which Caritas East Anglia and CAFOD are members, addresses the needs of those suffering because of this conflict. This event is a valuable opportunity to learn more about the ways in which a large donation from the diocese and our many individual donations are helping those in need."

All are welcome to this event and there is no need to book a place. For more information contact Jane Crone from CAFOD in East Anglia jcrone@cafod.org.uk