Project HOPE’s CEO Rabih Torbay Awarded Ukraine’s Order of Merit, III Degree by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded the Order of Merit, III degree, to Project HOPE’s CEO Rabih Torbay for his vital contributions during the full-scale Russian war. With Torbay at the lead, Project HOPE has been providing comprehensive health and humanitarian support to Ukrainians in de-occupied, frontline, and impacted communities since February 2022.
“Since my visit to Ukraine in the early days of the full-scale war, I have witnessed firsthand the extraordinary strength and compassion of the Ukrainian people, including Project HOPE’s team of 117 national local staff members who have dedicated their lives to serving and supporting others,” said Torbay. “I am deeply humbled to accept President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Order of Merit, III degree, for our contributions to the people of Ukraine, and I am proud to share this honor of a lifetime with my incredible colleagues who continue to endure despite the unimaginable. We remain committed to supporting Ukrainians through this war and beyond.”
Between 2022 and 2025, Project HOPE has supported more than 2.1 million people in Ukraine by addressing urgent humanitarian needs and strengthening access to health care, and was one of the first international humanitarian organizations to begin working in de-occupied communities. Project HOPE has provided support to more than 227 medical facilities across the country, enabling more than 3.4 million medical consultations and deployed 79 mobile medical teams in nine regions to provide primary, specialized, and emergency medical care in wartime conditions. The organization also provided 11 fully equipped ambulances, as well as two specialized and armored vehicles for medical evacuations and transportation of patients in frontline areas. In total, Project HOPE has delivered over $15 million in essential pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and equipment throughout Ukraine.
As Russian attacks have continued to target civilian infrastructure, Project HOPE has delivered more than 9.5 million liters of drinking water, restored and modernized over 300 water and sanitation facilities, and distributed more than 193,000 hygiene kits to ensure communities have access to essential water, hygiene, and dignity supplies. Additionally, the organization delivered 234 generators to medical and social facilities to ensure uninterrupted operations in the event of power attacks.
To ensure sustainable support for the local health system, Project HOPE has trained 13,432 health workers in basic life support, mental health, and other essential clinical skills. The organization is also implementing projects to restore civil infrastructure, including the reconstruction and repair of 28 buildings in 23 health and social facilities, improving access to services for more than 163,732 people. A core component of Project HOPE’s response has also been focused on providing mental health and psychosocial support to impacted communities to address both the immediate and long-term impacts of war.
Project HOPE maintains operational presences in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Kherson, and Sumy. To learn more, visit projecthope.org/ukraine.
