As Ukraine marks the second anniversary of its ongoing conflict, a Chilmark-based humanitarian charity is again mobilising teams of volunteers to deploy to support fellow responders working close to the frontline.
Scheduled to deploy on February 26, teams from REACT Disaster Response will travel to areas including Nikopol and Marhanets to deliver essential incident management training, which includes a focus on trauma medicine. The response is in partnership with global medical assistance organisation MedResQ, who can provide support to people anywhere in the world.
Volunteers from the charity were previously deployed to Ukraine in March 2022.
The deploying teams, led by REACT International Operations Manager Paul Taylor and volunteer and GP Matt Ladbrook, are made up entirely of armed forces veterans who will use their skills and experience in the field to support and equip people who work in the shadow of conflict on a daily basis.
London-based Responder Caz Bull is a paramedic and former army combat medic. She deployed with REACT to Ukraine in November 2023 to provide local groups with essential medical skills, including how to deal with catastrophic haemorrhage and complex tourniquet techniques.
Caz said: “I was a combat medic in the British Army with experience in Afghanistan, which is directly related to the kind of battlefield injuries that you see in Ukraine. Now a civilian paramedic, I have a set of really transferable skills and experience that can be used to support people living in complex environments like conflict zones.”
As a small charity, REACT depends on the generous support of partners and donors like MedResQ, to deploy in the wake of emergencies and disasters. In 2023, volunteers were able to respond to over 90 calls for help, including UK floods and the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco.
Adam Hickman, CEO, and Founder of MedResQ, said: "At MedResQ, we are passionate about helping people; it drives and motivates us in everything we do. As a business, we are focused on providing our clients and patients with exceptional levels of medical support anywhere in the world.
"Whether it be through conflict or natural disasters, there are those who find themselves in dire situations without access to basic resources and healthcare. For this reason, MedResQ is proud to partner with and support the team at REACT, who volunteer their time willingly to provide immediate and expert on-the-ground support to those who need it most."
To find out more about REACT Disaster Response and to support current and future responses, please visit www.re-act.org.uk.
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