Two French collaborators of the Swiss Protestant Aid organisation (EPER / HEKS), were recently killed in “a brutal attack” during a humanitarian mission in Ukraine.

“It is with great dismay and deep sadness for our two colleagues that we offer our condolences to the families of the victims in these difficult hours. We offer them our sincere condolences and are in our thoughts with them”, says EPER spokesperson Joëlle Herren Laufer in a press release.

Four other EPER employees, three French and a Ukrainian, were injured during the attack. They are now in a hospital outside the danger zone, where they are receiving “competent medical treatment” and psychological support”, informed EPER.

“The exact circumstances of the attack are not yet clear, but we are doing everything we can to clarify open questions and understand the background of this tragic incident”, pointed out Herren Laufer.

On the ground since the begining

EPER, founded in 1946 by the Federation of Protestant Churches of Switzerland, now the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland (EERS), has been on the ground since the invasion of Russia on February 2022. It provides humanitarian aid both in Ukraine and in neighboring countries.

Its French branch, the Fédération de l’entraide protestante (FEP), also expressed on X its “deep sympathy to the families and loved ones of the victims”.

?La FEP est solidaire de l’Entraide Protestante Suisse (EPER) face à la mort de 2 membres de leur équipe humanitaire engagée en Ukraine et de leurs collègues blessés. Elle exprime sa profonde sympathie aux familles et aux proches des victimes?https://t.co/BRW3oWnzSH

— FEP (@FeProtest) February 2, 2024