Kolkata, Mar 23 (PTI) The new Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, Sister Mary Joseph, on Wednesday said that five nuns of the order serving the distressed citizens of Kyiv, the capital of war-ravaged Ukraine, were given the offer to be evacuated but they declined.

They are not afraid of their own security as they believe they are serving God by coming to the aid of the people who are suffering, Sister Joseph told a press conference.

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"For them, the priority is to serve the distressed in such a challenging situation. Everything else comes later. We are in constant touch with them," she said.

The nuns are providing garments, food and medicines to local people, and their morale is high, said the chief of Missionaries of Charity founded by Saint Teresa.

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"We are talking to our fellow sisters in Kyiv at least once a day. We have faith in God. Our shelter in Kyiv has not suffered the brunt of shelling. We are in constant touch with the Indian government and Ukraine and Russian governments and various global bodies," another nun told PTI.

To a question, Sister Joseph said Missionaries of Charity has 5,123 sisters involved in the service for the distressed people all over the world in 758 homes. It has 139 branches across the globe.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)