Please do cherish the clear sky – Katerina Belash
These words are from a Ukrainian woman fleeing her home from the war being waged against her country. She went on to say in the NBC interview that her city was “dust.” The images of the farewells between families at train stations are heart-wrenching. The war is unfolding in real-time and each day the escalation of devastation and destruction grows. As nurses, we are compelled to take action, as we have done so many times before. The International Council of Nurses released this joint statement on March 3, 2022:
International Council of Nurses and European Nursing organisations condemn invasion of Ukraine:
The International Council of Nurses (ICN), the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) and the European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA), speaking on behalf of the world’s 28 million nurses, utterly condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine and the military attacks on its people. We call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to all hostilities and for the commencement of intensified diplomatic negotiations to secure peace.
Nurses and other healthcare workers deliver care and treatment to all patients without fear or favour: they must be allowed to do their work protected from threats and violence, and the healthcare facilities they work in must be shielded from harm. International regulations and the Geneva Convention protecting health facilities and health workers must be respected and enforced.
The people of Ukraine must be provided with the humanitarian aid they are entitled to under international treaties, and they must have ready access to the vital equipment, medicines and supplies that are required to treat all of their healthcare needs, including injuries or illnesses. Refugees from the conflict must be afforded the right of free passage and provided with healthcare and support on their journeys and when they reach a place of safety.
The world’s nurses demand that the health and wellbeing of the people of Ukraine is safeguarded and that can only be achieved through lasting peace, because peace and health are inseparable.
To show your support, sign! #NURSESFORPEACE
Here are three action steps nurses can take to support this emergeny humanitarian effort – retrieved from: https://www.icn.ch/news/nursesforpeace-ukrainian-nurses-tell-international-council-nurses-mounting-humanitarian-crisis
What can you do?
- Sign the ICN-EFN-EFNNMA joint statement
- Download the #NursesforPeace images and show your support by sharing on social media
- Donate to the ICN Humanitarian Fund
I’m praying for respect for the Geneva Convention but out of time…… need to ban import of russian oil, declare warm crimes and since nobody can talk fast enough, get the planes to Poland. Today.