In 2019, Fr. Segundo Tejado Munoz, the dicastery's undersecretary, told CNA that Pope Francis "wanted to help to tackle the humanitarian emergency with a prompt aid. This is the reason why money was directly transferred to Ukraine, where a technical committee selected the projects that could best respond to the emergency."
The priest clarified that "projects were chosen despite any religious, confessional or ethnic belonging. Every kind of association was involved, and the priority was given to those able to access to th areas of conflict, and so able to more promptly provide responses."
Tejado said that 6.7 million euros were put toward aid for those without heat and other necessities during the winter and 2.4 million euros were allocated to fixing medical infrastructures.
More than five million euros were used to deliver food and clothes and improve hygiene conditions in the areas of conflict. More than one million euros were given to programs offering psychological support, especially for children, women, ad victims of rape.
Tejado visited Ukraine with a Vatican delegation in November 2018. He said the situation in Ukraine was difficult.
"Social problems are similar to the ones of the rest of Europe: static economics, youth unemployment and poverty. This situation is expanded by the crisis," he said.
He stressed, however, that "despite everything, there are many people committed and many associations working with and for hope, looking to the future to start again."
"And the Church's bodies and entities are trying to lend a hand."
Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.