Annual report 2023 Osteuropahilfe e. V.

Dear friends, members and donors!

Public attention often moves like the beam of a very large spotlight. For a long time, this spotlight was focussed on Ukraine. Even the (natural) disasters only took up the spotlight for a short time before it swivelled back again. The attack on Ukraine seemed too unjust, too dangerous, too close - and it was felt directly by many people, e.g. through the large number of refugees in Germany. But now fatigue seems to be spreading, the cone of light is dimming. At the same time, an unbelievable catastrophe has unfolded in the Middle East conflict that deserves our attention no less.

Nevertheless, I would like to shake us all up in these Advent days: the war in Ukraine is still in full swing - with all the consequences of dead and injured people, abandoned or widowed families. However, the country's financial strength and its own government's ability to provide aid are limited. At the same time, many aid organisations are still severely restricted in their work because the war is still going on - they will only really get going when reconstruction begins.

Not us! We have been active the whole time, and on a scale never seen before - comparable only to the time of Csilla in the aftermath of 1989, when she took in tens of thousands of GDR refugees and the Hungarian Malteser Caritas Service she founded suddenly became very large - the largest private aid organisation in Eastern Europe. That is not our goal, size does not play a major role for us: we want to be close, effective and reliable, and we are. Take a look at the attached donor report to see how we have been able to help thanks to your support.

You have given us more than 4 million euros for Ukraine - a huge thank you for that. Nevertheless, we have already been able to provide over 3 million euros in emergency aid, and another half a million has already been earmarked. That's why I have to ask you today: please continue to donate to us, because what we have left will not be enough. Every euro counts, and every euro will be used, because even in 2023, all administrative costs can be covered by our investment income. We need you so that we can continue to help.

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, also on behalf of all our Eastern European partners and aid recipients, and wish you a happy and blessed Advent.

Yours

Raphael Hoensbroech

First Chairman