AN EX-SOLDIER living on the Herefordshire border is continuing to put his life on the line for those who need his help in war torn countries.
Paul Taylor, of Hay-on-Wye, served in the British Army Infantry for 26 years, and then spent another six years at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon, in mid-Wales.
Shortly after retiring from the army he volunteered to help with RE:ACT's response to the devastating earthquake in Nepal in April 2015.
Since then, he has worked full-time for the charity and is now international operations manager.
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He has been deployed on numerous natural disasters to Sri Lanka, the Caribbean, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Indonesia, and most recently Romania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine.
Paul was sent to Eastern Europe just seven days after war broke out in Ukraine.
His job was to assess exactly where RE:ACT was most needed.
During the mission, Mr Taylor started a partnership with a local charity, the Ukraine Education Platform (UEP).
"It was a huge privilege to deploy to Ukraine and support the efforts of the UEP," he said.
"I have never before witnessed such determination to overcome their oppressor and with no small amount of bravery."
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Since then, RE:ACT teams have been regularly working alongside Ukrainian refugees - which have been mostly women, as the men stayed at home to fight - at a partner's warehouse in Lublin, a city 100km from the Ukraine border.
There they sort incoming aid from the UK and Europe, pack it and then ensure it's loaded onto vans and lorries as soon as possible and driven into Ukraine.
"We are now wholly concentrating on ensuring vital food supplies reach those most in need in the far east and southeast of the country," said Mr Taylor.
"Each box contains enough to sustain a family of four for a week but only costs £30."
You can read more about the food distribution in Ukraine here.
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