Chandigarh: The Governor of the state of New Jersey, USA, Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy joined the United Sikhs team at the Ukraine-Poland border, witnessing the specially designed tactical medical program and showering praise on the initiative.
The couple paid an official visit to Lviv Oblast in western Ukraine on February 17, 2023, in the course of which they met Governor of Lviv Oblast Maksym Kozytskyy, Mayor of Shehyni Oksana Pavusko, and Chief of staff of the Governor of Lviv Oblast Roman Kynazev. They subsequently joined the United Sikhs team – including President Balwant Singh, Director Hardayal Singh, and youth volunteer coordinators Prabhleen Kaur, Daler Kaur, and Jasleen Kaur – at the Ukraine-Poland border. They witnessed a live demonstration of the tactical medical program for civilians conducted by United Sikhs medical operations trainer Norman Bart.
“It’s been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, wreaking unimaginable suffering and devastation across swathes of the country. The efforts by United Sikhs stand out like a beacon of hope amidst the bleakness of this unfolding tragedy. Particularly commendable is the ingenious tactical medical program. By training ordinary civilians, it has the potential to save countless lives in serious conflict zones,” said Phil Murphy.
“Everything we do at United Sikhs is inspired by the idea of recognizing the whole human race as one. Even since war broke out in Ukraine, our teams of volunteers have been on the ground evacuating people to safety, providing relief supplies, building bomb shelters, and basically doing everything to stand by the Ukrainian people in their hour of need. Our emergency medical training program is the latest and most unique initiative aimed at saving maximum lives in battle zones with no access to emergency care,” ” explained Hardyal Singh.
Given the escalating conflict, United Sikhs, in November 2022, launched a first-ever ‘train-the-trainer’ program in which 50 Ukrainian civilians were given tactical medical training. The program was designed with the idea of enabling civilians to offer basic treatment to other civilian victims of war, increasing their odds of survival in hostile environments. The training program includes arranging the right medical equipment, treating fractures and wounds, evacuating the injured, and offering protection against hypothermia, among others.
As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine touches the one-year mark, the conflict shows no signs of abating. With at least 8,000 non-combatants confirmed killed, 13,300 injured, and millions displaced since the outset of the war, Ukraine may well be in the throes of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
UNITED SIKHS has incessantly been at work in Ukraine since February 2022, spearheading humanitarian efforts in various directions, from rescuing individuals and distributing essential supplies – food, water, clothing, and medication – to extending pro bono legal services to people in need.
Founded in 1999, United Sikhs is a UN-affiliated, Department of Public Information-associated NGO headquartered in New York. The organization has a global presence with chapters across 5 continents and primarily works around three areas, namely – Humanitarian Aid (Sikh Aid), International Civil & Human Rights Advocacy (ICHRA), and Community Education and Empowerment Development (CEED).