AAR Japan has started a winter fundraising campaign ahead of two milestones: in February 2027 it will be five years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, and five years have passed since the change of government in Afghanistan. It calls for broad support to deliver needed aid to people living through prolonged hardship.
According to the announcement, more than 16,000 civilians have died in Ukraine and nearly 10 million people have become refugees or internally displaced. Meanwhile international support has declined, and people with disabilities and older people face especially severe conditions. AAR provides medicines and rehabilitation equipment, transport to medical facilities, and landmine and unexploded ordnance risk education.
In Afghanistan, 21.9 million people, 45% of the population, are said to need assistance. AAR distributes food to households headed by women and households with people with disabilities, and conducts risk-avoidance education on landmines and unexploded ordnance at distribution sites. Donations are used for activities in 17 countries, including Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Key points
- In Ukraine, activities that stay close to people with disabilities and older people who struggle to reach aid on their own
- In Afghanistan, food distribution to women-headed households and others, plus landmine and unexploded ordnance education
- Donations support activities in 17 countries and are tax-deductible, as AAR is a certified NPO
Why we are paying attention to this news
The longer a crisis lasts, the more global attention fades and support shrinks. Learning about conditions and activities at a milestone is an important chance to keep from forgetting.
AAR's work begins by checking each person's situation and connecting them with the aid they need. The words of its Ukraine staff member, that where one is born or what one faces must never take away life's choices, offer a clue to what international cooperation means.
Staff comments
Minato AobaResearch
“What stayed with me is the point that support is shrinking at the five-year mark. I feel the importance of work that looks to people who struggle to ask for help, like people with disabilities and older adults.”
Sophie HiroseWriting and translation
“I agree with Aoba's focus on people who find it hard to ask for help. The Ukraine staff member's wish that no one's life choices be taken away moved me as I read.”
Mako JozenjiProofreading and verification
“Your words reminded me that behind every figure in the news is someone's daily life. Knowing that people keep working even as attention fades makes me want to think about what we can do.”
Editor-in-Chief’s comment
Ren DateEditor-in-Chief
“The longer a conflict goes on, the less we see of it in the news. Yet life there continues today.
Details on the activities and how to donate are on AAR's official website. Why not think about what you can do, in a way that suits you?”