A former New Zealand Defence Minister is on the ground in Ukraine, assisting with humanitarian efforts.
Ron Mark, a long-serving New Zealand First MP, will be involved in a mission to deliver essential supplies to some of Ukraine's hardest-hit cities.
Newshub's Europe Correspondent Lisette Reymer revealed the news during a live-cross on AM from Dunaivtsi in Ukraine.
"One thing I will add, which no one in New Zealand knows just yet, part of this humanitarian effort is our former Defence Minister Ron Mark," Reymer told AM co-host Melissa Chan-Green on Thursday.
"He's made the journey over to Ukraine to be part of this humanitarian effort because he wants to get a good idea of the scale of what is going on here, so he can bring it back home to New Zealand and try and help inform what more we could do because in his opinion, we are not doing enough," she said.
Mark has said in the past, that New Zealand needs to continue supplying Ukraine with more humanitarian aid, including body armour.
Reymer said Mark is involved with a Christian organisation called the Great Commission Society (GCS), which is helping provide aid to people in Ukraine.
"They're international, and part of it is they have linked up with a man by the name of Owen Pomana, a Kiwi man who has done some incredible work in the past in terms of humanitarian aid all around the world," Reymer said.
"He has his own society in New Zealand - Humanitarian NZ - which has now linked up with GCS and is providing this aid.
"So he is how Ron Mark has got involved. Two Kiwis on the frontline of a humanitarian crisis and certainly going to some incredibly dangerous areas in the coming weeks. "
Reymer said hundreds of thousands of British pounds have been donated to the GCS to fund this effort, but Kiwis have also donated to the organisation.
"But part of that is at least NZD$100,000 has been donated, so Kiwis have supplied between $80-$100k they estimate towards this mission this week," Reymer said.
"It's really heartwarming and special to see it in action here, see the actual aid that is going to these places that we are hearing about in the news every night.
"Places like Mauripol and Kharkiv, have been the scene of utter devastation. New Zealanders that have donated will be helping those Ukrainians in the coming days. "
Watch the full interview with Lisette Reymer above.
