Find out what Drives the People Behind USAID’s Ukraine Humanitarian Response
As the largest conflict in Europe since World War II broke out on February 24, 2022, USAID immediately deployed an elite Disaster Assistance Response Team to address growing needs stemming from Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war on Ukraine.
The USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), made up of more than 25 disaster experts working in five countries, is leading the U.S. humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine, working in close coordination with European allies and humanitarian partners who have been on the front lines of these efforts. For the past month, the DART has been identifying critical needs, conducting up-to-the minute humanitarian assessments, and quickly ramping up aid for affected communities.
In the first of a two-part series, we wanted to introduce you to some members of our DART, who have put their own lives on hold to save others thousands of miles away from home.
Rachel Sayre, Deputy DART Leader
As the DART’s Deputy Team Lead, Rachel does a little bit of everything to keep the team and our programs running smoothly. The Minnesota native is proud to represent the United States to demonstrate the care of the American people — or, in her words, that “we’re supporting them when they need support, in the way we would want to be supported when it’s our turn.”
Q: What has been your most memorable moment so far?
“When I saw that our USAID-funded blankets were being used by people fleeing to Lviv. Also, I’ve loved seeing the DART come together as a team, doing the best we can, and representing the best of U.S. ideals to the people of Ukraine–that we respond in times of need.”
Q: What motivates you?
“I’ve been motivated by seeing how hard this team works through challenges to get aid and supplies into Ukraine, fund humanitarian partners, and stand for humanitarian principles. Through it all, we’ve come together as a team–that’s motivating.”
Q: What do you want to accomplish on this response?
“To reach people in need and to create a supportive environment for our team that best enables us to provide assistance to the people of Ukraine.”
Phil Price, DART Planning Coordinator
This is Phil’s second time working on USAID’s humanitarian response in Ukraine. Phil works on a team that assesses humanitarian needs and figures out which humanitarian organization can best meet those needs. The Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, native also worked to deliver assistance to people in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine in 2017–18.
Q: What is your role on the DART?
“I work with DART colleagues to develop and manage our implementation strategy. I also coordinate closely with the UN agencies and NGOs responding in Ukraine to help ensure that the right assistance gets to people in need.”
Q: What has been your most memorable moment so far?
“Seeing everyday Ukrainians who were living all over the world come back to Ukraine to do whatever they can is incredibly inspiring.”
Q: What motivates you?
“I’m motivated by the support and unconditional care that Ukrainians are providing to one another. I’m also motivated by the dedication of my colleagues and the hard work of so many organizations and individuals trying to make a difference in an exceedingly tough environment.”
Kiley Shields, DART Information Coordinator
For information officers like Kiley, the demands of serving on a DART are nonstop. She analyzes information and sends out an array of written products to keep the U.S. Government and the wider public up to date with the humanitarian response. The Annapolis, Md., native and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer of Ghana has worked on a portfolio that includes Ukraine since September 2021; prior to that, she served on USAID’s Northern Ethiopia DART.
Q: What is your role on the DART?
“I am one of the DART’s three information officers, meaning I spend my days reading and writing about what is going on inside Ukraine to inform our audience, including members of the U.S. Government and public, about humanitarian conditions and response activities ongoing in Ukraine.”
Q: What has been your most memorable moment so far?
“February 24, the day hostilities kicked off across Ukraine, coincided with my mom’s birthday and Tłusty Czwartek, or doughnut day, in Poland. As the team grappled with the new reality in Ukraine from our base in Poland on February 24, we were comforted by the sight of towering plates of doughnuts — an unexpected but welcome sight. The dissonance between the doughnuts, a loved one’s birthday, and the horrible news we were hearing from Ukraine gave me a lasting impression I won’t shake off anytime soon.”
Q: What motivates you?
Q: What do you want to accomplish on this response?
“I want to make sure that the true scope of humanitarian needs are effectively conveyed to our audiences, to enable appropriately scaled humanitarian response efforts.”
Cara McGrath, Outreach Coordinator
Members of the DART’s coordination team, like Cara, act as the glue that links the DART to broader international humanitarian response. Through her work, Cara ensures the DART is speaking with the right people and helping deliver the right messages. The native of Oklahoma City has been with USAID since 2018 and previously served on humanitarian responses, including for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the regional crisis in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
Q: What is your role on the DART?
“I help connect people. I provide support to the DART by building and maintaining relationships with humanitarian actors, and I often lead planning and coordination for high-level visits and engagements.”
Q: What has been your most memorable moment so far?
“Witnessing the daily global outpouring of support for Ukraine.”
Q: What motivates you?
Q: What do you want to accomplish on this response?
“Ensure people and organizations are working together effectively and efficiently to provide principled humanitarian assistance to those who need it most.”
The United States is the largest humanitarian donor to Ukraine, providing nearly $302 million in humanitarian assistance, including nearly $90 million from USAID. For ways you could help the Ukrainian people during their time of need, please visit the Center for International Disaster Information’s Ukraine Response webpage.
Get more information on USAID’s response to War in Ukraine.
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Graphics: Mardri Gaston-Williams, USAID
Portraits: Scott Fontaine, USAID
