On April 27 in Rome, at the seat of the Delegation of the European Union to the Holy See — Villa Europa — the heads of EU member state missions met with representatives of Caritas Europa, Caritas Ukraine, and the Embassy of Ukraine to the Holy See and the Sovereign Order of Malta.
The meeting focused on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the role of the Caritas network in supporting Ukrainians, and further cooperation with the European Union.
Participants included, among others, EU Ambassador to the Holy See Martin Selmayr, President of Caritas Europa Monsignor Michael Landau, President of Caritas Ukraine Tetiana Stavnycha, Secretary General of Caritas Europa Maria Nyman, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Holy See Andrii Yurash.
At the opening of the meeting, at the proposal of Monsignor Michael Landau, participants observed a moment of silence and prayer in memory of those killed as a result of Russian aggression, including the victims of the latest missile strikes, which have brought painful losses to the entire Caritas family.
In his opening remarks, the head of Caritas Europa stressed that support for Ukraine is not a short-term effort but a “humanitarian marathon.” He emphasized that Caritas’s service is rooted in Catholic social teaching, grounded in the conviction of the inherent dignity of every person and in the principles of solidarity, subsidiarity, and the common good.
“The Holy Father reminds us that the measure of our societies is how we treat the poorest, the weakest, and those most excluded from social life. The Church’s place is beside the poor, and we strive for a society in which no one is left behind. We work for peace, but peace is always the fruit of justice: Opus iustitiae pax,” said the President of Caritas Europa.
According to Monsignor Landau, Ukraine remains the site of the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, approximately 9 million Ukrainians have received assistance in various ways from Caritas structures and partner organizations. About 11 million people in Ukraine continue to need protection and support. Behind these figures, he emphasized, are real human lives: families who have lost their homes, older adults, children, and communities forced to live under constant threat.
The President of Caritas Europa also highlighted the role of the Catholic Church in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic Churches, he noted, are deeply embedded in society and serve not only as a spiritual presence but also as a network of mercy and practical assistance.
Two national Caritas structures operate in Ukraine: Caritas Ukraine, affiliated with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Caritas-Spes Ukraine, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. They share a common mission: to protect human dignity, bring hope and concrete assistance, and support the resilience of communities wounded by war.
President of Caritas Ukraine, Tetiana Stavnycha, presented the organization’s work and humanitarian needs in Ukraine. She noted that these needs are estimated at $2.3 billion, of which $2.1 billion is priority funding to provide life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people.
The presentation also focused not only on emergency relief but on Caritas’s broader approach to supporting people — from the first crisis response through stabilization, restoration of dignity, and the recovery of agency. This response covers food security, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, health care, psychosocial support, social protection, education, safe migration, and livelihood recovery. Since 2022, Caritas Ukraine, together with Caritas-Spes Ukraine, has reached 6 million people with assistance.
Tetiana Stavnycha emphasized that this meeting was an important opportunity to discuss not only Ukraine’s needs but also the strength of a collective humanitarian response.
“It was an extraordinary moment — meeting with representatives of the European Union and individual European countries at the Holy See. Their attention and solidarity were very tangible,” said the head of Caritas Ukraine.
According to her, such meetings make it possible to view Caritas’s work in a broader perspective — as part of international humanitarian solidarity.
“When I speak about what is happening in Ukraine and how we are responding, I represent not only Caritas Ukraine. I represent the broader humanitarian community. This is an opportunity to step back and see our strength in action — to understand how important our work is not only for Ukraine, but for the world,” said Tetiana Stavnycha.
She also underlined that at a time when international ties and political reference points around the world are shifting, the humanitarian community has a special mission: to keep the value of every human being at the center.
“For Caritas, the human person is always at the center — their life, their dignity, their need to be seen. It is in a genuine encounter with one’s neighbor that love and solidarity are most fully revealed,” emphasized the President of Caritas Ukraine.
Secretary General of Caritas Europa, Maria Nyman, presented the broader dimensions of support for Ukraine from the international Caritas network. She emphasized that the Caritas response to the war in Ukraine is an example of how locally led humanitarian action can work in practice. Local Caritas organizations are close to communities, trusted by people, and quickly perceive how needs on the ground are changing.
Caritas Internationalis unites 162 national organizations present in approximately 200 countries and territories. Caritas Europa coordinates Caritas organizations in 46 European countries. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, all 49 members of Caritas Europa have in some way contributed to a coordinated response to Ukraine’s needs — through financial, technical, and human support, security consulting and planning, and assistance to countries hosting Ukrainians. Caritas Ukraine, in turn, channels this support to 208 communities across 13 regions of Ukraine. In 2025 alone, the organization provided assistance to approximately 400,000 people.
Maria Nyman also stressed that the humanitarian crisis is far from over. According to data shared at the meeting, nearly 40% of people in need of assistance in Ukraine are in extreme or catastrophic conditions. After four years of hostilities, more than 15,000 civilians have been killed, over 41,000 have been wounded, millions have been internally displaced, and countless homes and civilian infrastructure facilities have been damaged or destroyed.
Particular attention was paid to Ukrainians remaining outside the country. Around 5.5 million Ukrainians are still in European countries, many of them dependent on the Temporary Protection mechanism to access basic rights and services.
In this context, Caritas Europa called on the European Union and member states to ensure predictable and flexible support that reaches local organizations directly. According to Maria Nyman, local actors should not merely be implementers of programs but full participants in defining humanitarian priorities.
The need to prepare a smooth and dignified transition from the Temporary Protection regime, currently set to continue until 2027, was also highlighted. This concerns access to secure residence permits, long-term solutions, medical care, psychosocial support, housing, education, and social services. Particular attention, according to representatives of Caritas Europa, should be given to children and young people who are unaccompanied or have been separated from their families.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, underlined the importance of the mission carried out by both Caritas structures in Ukraine. He also noted the role of Caritas in supporting Ukrainians abroad, particularly the cooperation with Caritas Italiana, which supports Ukrainian refugees in Italy at the parish and diocesan level. Particular mention was made of the organization of summer holidays in Italy for nearly 2,700 Ukrainian children, as well as targeted projects supporting Ukrainian families.
The Ambassador of Ukraine expressed sincere gratitude to the Delegation of the European Union to the Holy See, the Sovereign Order of Malta, the UN Organizations in Rome, and the Republic of San Marino, and personally to Ambassador Martin Selmayr for organizing and hosting this important meeting at Villa Europa.
Meeting participants emphasized that humanitarian support for Ukraine must be closely linked to recovery, social cohesion, and long-term reconstruction. In this sense, the Caritas network serves as a bridge between local communities and international institutions, between immediate needs and long-term hope.
The meeting at Villa Europa once again demonstrated that support for Ukraine through Caritas grows from solidarity, responsibility, and faith in a just peace grounded in respect for human dignity.