Out of sight cannot be out of mind: Ukraine, hurricane and COVID crises

When the headlines move on, so does the financial support for those affected by crises that can feel like yesterday’s news. From Cape Coral, Florida to Kherson, Ukraine, the year 2022 has been a record year for bad news. Long after the cameras have gone, the communities who have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the devastating hurricanes in Florida and Puerto Rico, as well as the war in Ukraine still desperately need our help. The supplemental funding request from the Biden administration to Congress is a strong next step to advance American health and security and Congress must move swiftly to enact it. 

This funding will allow the U.S. to continue to assist those impacted by the war in Ukraine, bolster pandemic response and preparedness at home and abroad, as well as help our fellow Americans rebuild their lives in the wake of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. Supplemental funding will also have major ramifications for other health crises. In a time of unprecedented challenges — the UN recently issued its largest humanitarian funding appeal in history — this supplemental funding will also ensure that other major crises such as the cholera outbreak in Haiti, looming famine in the Horn of Africa, and the resurgence of diseases like measles and polio — are not ignored due to funds being diverted to higher profile concerns. 

Diseases know no borders 

The COVID-19 pandemic made clear to all that American health and security are inseparable from global health. Infectious diseases are re-emerging in the U.S. and abroad as the COVID-19 pandemic stalled routine immunization programs and diverted resources. A measles outbreak in Columbus, Ohio and the reappearance of polio in the U.S. for the first time in a decade in New York illustrate once more that we cannot address our national health without also addressing global health. We do this by strengthening the capacity of health systems to vaccinate communities, monitor diseases and respond to new outbreaks. Today, we are helping countries build the muscles to fight against COVID-19 and its future incarnations, but those same muscles can work against the myriad other disease threats challenging health and security for all. 

Defeat in Ukraine is defeat for us all 

The Russian onslaught in Ukraine has relentlessly targeted civilian structures like hospitals and water and power facilities. Even before the latest escalation, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported over 500 attacks on health facilities in the first six months of the war. Yet, the will of the Ukrainians has not broken.  

However, as the country dives deeper into a paralyzingly cold winter, it is more important than ever that Ukrainians have access to basic humanitarian needs — including medical and mental health supports — as they continue to fight for their freedom. If these needs are not met, we may witness yet another exodus of Ukrainians who have been forced to seek refuge in other countries. Our partners in Europe who have accepted more than 7 million Ukrainian refugees must still do more, and a European supplemental is similarly under consideration. However, without continued support from the U.S. for basic needs more Ukrainians will, understandably, flee to Europe and the United States.  

Hurricanes last hours — but recovery requires years 

It was just a couple of months ago that Hurricane Fiona wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico and Hurricane Ian devastated Florida and South Carolina. Ian was recorded as the second-largest insured loss — after Hurricane Katrina — racking in an estimated $67 billion in damages, according to data released from the modeling firm RMS. And for Puerto Rico, Fiona was just the latest horrifying setback in a series of deadly disasters that have plagued the island in recent years. While the news crews have moved on, critical infrastructure — including health facilities, water and sanitation, roads, schools and all the things that make a community — still need to be re-established. We must again step up and support the response and rebuilding efforts in these communities just as we have done for other Americans devastated by disasters for decades. 

Stay the course 

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres noted that 2022 has been a “year of extremes.” Such an extraordinary year requires an extraordinary response. Without additional funding, these three major crises will undoubtedly draw scarce resources from other domestic and global needs. In my role at the global health and humanitarian aid organization Project HOPE, I’ve seen the impact that we’ve been able to make on all three of these fronts with scarce donor resources, but the needs don’t vanish when the press coverage does. And make no mistake, it is always the most vulnerable who suffer the greatest in any emergency. Supplemental funds for Ukraine, COVID-19 and domestic disaster relief are critically necessary, not just for the health of those impacted, but for the good of our nation and globe. Congress must now act to be sure the U.S. remains on course. 

Jed Meline is director of policy and advocacy at Project HOPE. He previously served as director of Health and Humanitarian Assistance at the White House National Security Council and as a foreign service officer with USAID. 

This piece has been updated.