Brother's Brother supplies donated from Pittsburgh reach Ukraine

A shipment of crucially needed medical and wound care supplies from Pittsburgh to war-torn Ukraine made it to an alternative destination Friday as Russian missiles hit an aircraft maintenance facility in Lviv in western Ukraine.

“It was important for us to get it done and to help those people it was supposed to help,” said Ozzy Samad, executive director of Brother’s Brother Foundation on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

Because Russian missiles hit the site where the Ukrainian Ministry of Health was to collect the locally donated supplies, Samad said it was safely delivered to another location, where Ukrainian representatives took control of the delivery.

Brother’s Brother sent four truckloads of Highmark/Allegheny Health Network medicines and medical supplies, which were complemented by Giant Eagle’s medical donation.

Samad said he hopes the international relief organization can send another shipment later this week from Pittsburgh, to JFK Airport in New York, to Paris, then landing in Warsaw, where it will be transported by truck to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. But like so many international relief efforts, Samad said, the timing of the shipments will depend upon the availability of transportation.

Brother’s Brother will continue sending shipments to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, plus humanitarian supplies for refugees at reception centers in Poland and Romania, along with in-country purchases of relief supplies, Samad said. It is working with partners in Ukraine, Poland and Romania, who are operating medical facilities and providing humanitarian aid.

Donations to the Ukraine relief fund have topped $750,000, which is triple the initial goal set by Brother’s Brother and the Pittsburgh Technology Council, the agency said.

Highmark/AHN is continuing to provide more medicine and medical supplies. These will be supplemented by donations from O’Hara-based Grane Rx, along with potential donations from other health systems. Giant Eagle is providing baby food, wipes, diapers, formula, disinfecting wipes, granola & grain bars, soap, feminine hygiene products, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Another area organization involved in relief efforts, Music in World Cultures, has sent shipments to Ukraine and has helped more than 300 refugees escape to safety in Poland and Romania, said Kristy Kaufmann, a spokeswoman for the organization, based in Lawrence, Washington County.