03 Mar 2022 – The IOC President, Thomas Bach, today wrote a letter to the Olympic Movement, setting out information on the next steps to provide humanitarian assistance for the Olympic Community in Ukraine.

Dear colleagues, 

In response to the continued humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine, the IOC and the NOC of Ukraine have been overwhelmed with an outpouring of solidarity from stakeholders across the Olympic Movement. Many National Olympic Committees and International Federations, and their member federations, have already launched initiatives to assist exiled Ukrainian athletes of all levels, which we applaud and encourage.

In its decision of 28 February 2022, the IOC Executive Board announced that it would support and coordinate humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian Olympic Community in this time of crisis through the creation of a solidarity fund.

Where possible we need to increase the assistance already provided, but also ensure that it is coordinated in an effective manner. This is why the IOC has urgently requested Mr Sergii Bubka, President of the NOC of Ukraine and IOC Member, to come immediately to Lausanne to coordinate all elements of humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian Olympic Community. With the support of Olympic Solidarity in Lausanne and his team at the NOC in Ukraine, Mr Bubka will lead on the allocation and distribution of the solidarity fund towards the Ukrainian Olympic community and sports movement. To facilitate this task we will begin collecting information on the whereabouts of these members of the Ukrainian Olympic community as well as ongoing initiatives and support. In this respect, our teams will follow up with you shortly.

In the seven days since it has started, the UNHCR has reported that this war has created yet another refugee crisis with over one million Ukrainian people, mostly women and children, having been forcibly displaced from their homes. In the long run, the Olympic Refuge Foundation is well placed to respond to the impending impacts that this armed conflict will create on the well-being of Ukrainian people and their host communities.

In these turbulent times and with the solidarity shown across the Olympic Movement, we are stronger together.  

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Bach