United Sikhs to build bomb shelters in Ukraine, aid flash-flooded Peshawar in Pakistan

Tribune News Service

Jupinderjit Singh 

Chandigarh, August 31

Founder Director of United Sikhs is touring the war zone in Ukraine to assess the needs of the local residents who have been rendered homeless and to step up its relief efforts.

He is meeting with local leaders and humanitarian organisations to optimise assistance for the people of Ukraine.

United Sikhs had been one of the first responders to organise relief with volunteers from Germany, the US, Denmark and the UK, flying in, risking their lives to set up medical relief camp, heated shelter, a community kitchen for daily supply of food for the refugees and the victims in multiple cities including Kyiv.

Hardayal Singh accompanied by another senior Director from Seattle, Balwant Singh, and Newark-based lawyer and activist Victor Herlinsky, went around various towns around Kharkiv and interacted with the families who lost their homes in the bombing.

The immediate need is for safe bombing shelters to save children, women, the old and the sick which United Sikhs shall be setting up soon for more than 300 children, women and men, in the grey zone in the heart of Ukraine, said Hardayal Singh.

In the wake of this humanitarian crisis and the suffering that every family is going through, the resilient Ukrainians are keeping a brave face which calls for concerted efforts of the people around the globe to join in this campaign to save the children, women, and men shattered by war, he added.

The UN-affiliated NGO United Sikhs has been looking after refugees with medical aid, life-saving relief supplies, sanitation, dental kits, clothing and food every day.

Earlier this month, at a fund-raiser hosted by Friends of Ukraine at Newark, NJ, Senator Cory Booker, joined in the spirit of solidarity with United Sikhs and said injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere and injustice is happening as people are dying right now. He appreciated the United Sikhs’ initiatives from not letting the evil triumph through their good work.

Meanwhile, United Sikhs has rushed in relief supplies immediately in Charsadda district affecting the lives of thousands of people and the livestock, besides unprecedented damage to the property. 

Right from day one, the local Sikh volunteers of United Sikhs have immediately setup camp to move the flood-affected families to safe areas and provide them with food, water, and other immediate supplies under the leadership of United Sikhs representative in Pakistan, Hardayal Singh

So far, the floods have injured 1,634 people, damaging nearly 10,000 homes, 170 shops, and 3,451 km of road stretch according to the latest report of National Disaster Management Authority.

Ravi Kumar, member of the Provincial Assembly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, visited Nowshera and met Hindu, Christian and other local families and appreciated the efforts of United Sikhs. 

Another United Sikhs volunteer, Sagarjeet Singh, who is a member of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, said incessant floods collapsed the roof of Gurdwara at Shikarpur Singh, killing two on the spot, and destroying the entire building. 

The Saroop of Guru Granth Sahib was retrieved safely and moved to a nearby home of a Gursikh family, he said. 

United Sikhs has issued a global appeal for relief and medical supplies for setting up medical camps.

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