Humanitarian aid for Ukraine: Witten/Herdecke University collects donations

The war in Ukraine has left many people in Germany feeling powerless and helpless. However, more and more private individuals and initiatives are getting involved in helping people affected by the war and helping to ensure that they receive medical care.

Forces have also been mobilised at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H). The student initiative United Students for Ukraine is coordinating donations in kind and money. It is calling on all private individuals and medical institutions such as surgeries, clinics and pharmacies to donate materials such as insulin, bandages, iodine and infusion solutions to the university. The materials will be stored and packed in designated rooms on the main campus and transported directly to Ukraine in cooperation with aid organisations.

"The people in Ukraine need our help and solidarity right now. Medical care in the affected areas is particularly precarious. As students from the various departments, we would like to do our bit to improve medical care in the crisis area. Anyone can participate by making a donation," says Carlotta Süring, founding member of United Students for Ukraine and chair of the nursing science and medicine faculty student council at the UW/H.

The initiative is also asking for donations. This will be used to finance additional materials for care, medicines or aid programmes for refugees coming to Germany from the war zone.

"It would be great if more partnerships were formed in the region"

"Medical institutions at UW/H are already supporting people in Ukraine or have now joined the student initiative United Students for Ukraine. It would be great if more partnerships were formed in the region to join the aid project at the university," emphasises Jan Peter Nonnenkamp, Chancellor of the UW/H.

The Witten pharmacy in Real is already setting a good example: customers can buy first-aid kits there at cost price (incl. VAT) as well as other medicines and materials. The pharmacy will take care of transporting the donations to the UW/H. Interested parties can find the pharmacy in the Wittener Real: Annenstraße 133, 58453 Witten

In addition to the fundraising campaign, the university is also currently focusing on the war in Ukraine: information lectures, academic assessments by conflict researchers and networking opportunities are currently being organised.