For the first time since the war began: Pharmacists Without Borders travel to Ukraine

According to a press release in July 2025, Pharmacists Without Borders Germany (AoG) has, for the first time since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022 and the start of the AoG project Long-term Emergency Aid in spring 2022, organized its own project trip to the Ukraine . The aid organization's project coordinator, Max Haselbach, visited the partner hospital, St. Nicholas Hospital, in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv to gain a first-hand impression of the current situation and the impact of previous aid deliveries.

For Pharmacists Without Borders, the trip marks an important step in the ongoing professionalization of the international aid organization. "The safety of our operational staff is a prerequisite for Pharmacists Without Borders. Especially when operating abroad in regions with complex security situations, we always carefully weigh risks," explains Jochen Wenzel, honorary chairman of the board of Pharmacists Without Borders. "In light of today's challenges – such as more dynamic conflict and thus security situations – we have systematically further developed our existing approach over the past year and documented it in a new security manual."

With the help of the new safety manual, Pharmacists Without Borders reviews missions and travel plans based on established criteria. The overarching goal is not to categorize regions where people most urgently need support based on general safety concerns, but rather to map the respective risks in the specific deployment areas and adapt activities to local conditions. Only after a region has been deemed realistically accessible and travel is deemed justifiable does Pharmacists Without Borders finalize deployment or travel plans.

According to AoG, the decision to travel to Ukraine was carefully considered. The goal was to evaluate existing collaborations with the clinic's medical and pharmaceutical staff and gain a detailed insight into the needs and situation on site.

"After more than three years of working remotely, it was very special for me to finally meet the people with whom we have been working so closely since 2022 in person," reports Max Haselbach, project coordinator at Pharmacists Without Borders. "It was very moving to see with my own eyes the concrete impact of our support: The medicines and relief supplies that we regularly organize and ship make an important contribution to maintaining healthcare for people in Ukraine every day, not just in Lviv."

Since the start of its long-term emergency aid, Pharmacists Without Borders has reportedly carried out over 220 deliveries of medicines and medical supplies to Ukraine for a total of over 3.6 million euros – always in close coordination with partner clinics and medical facilities on site.