As more lives are threatened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, here are some practical ways you can help.
Ukrainians have compiled a list of charities to which you can donate to assist those affected by the situation. These are some of the organisations:
1. Medical Supplies and Humanitarian Aid
- Nova Ukraine, a Ukraine-based nonprofit, provides citizens with everything from baby food and hygiene products, to clothes and household supplies. Donate here.
- People in Need is providing humanitarian aid to over 200,000 people on the ground. For those most in need, they provide food packages, emergency shelter, safe access to drinking water, hygiene items, and coal for heating. Donate here.
- The Ukrainian Red Cross does loads of humanitarian work, from aiding refugees to training doctors. Donate here.
- International Medical Corps is on the front lines and prepared to help citizens with emergency health care services, as well as mental health and psychosocial support. The agency is also keeping the pandemic top of mind throughout the crisis by priotitizing COVID-19 awareness and prevention services, to help keep displaced citizens safe from the pandemic. Donate here.
- CARE International is responding to the crisis by providing Ukrainians in need with food, hygeine kits, psychosocial support services, access to water, and access to cash. Donate here.
2. Helping Children Affected by War
- UNICEF Ukraine is repairing schools damaged by the bombings and providing an emergency response to children affected by the conflict. Donate here
3. Supporting Journalism
- The Kyiv Independent describes itself as “created by journalists who were fired from the Kyiv Post for defending editorial independence.” You can help keep the curtains up for the independent Ukrainian English-language media outlet by donating to its Patreon or GoFundMe fundraiser.
- Ukraine World is an independent English-language multimedia project that emerged from a volunteer initiative helping international journalists during the 2014 “Revolution of Dignity.”Support it by donating to its Patreon.
4. Supporting Refugees
Of course, for many Ukrainians, the threat of full-scale war is driving them to seek safety in neighboring countries.
In a statement, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said: “We have already seen reports of casualties and people starting to flee their homes to seek safety.”
Accordingly, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has stepped up its operations and is working with governments in neighboring countries “calling on them to keep borders open to those seeking safety and protection.” Germany has already offered Poland help with refugees.
You can help support refugees by donating here.
5. Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community in Ukraine
In times like these, LGBTQ+ members are often even more marginalised and exposed to vulnerability than usual. OutRight Action International is stepping up to make sure that they are not left behind and that they are protected in this time of crisis. The organization will be helping to support LGBTQ+ groups and organizations on the ground who are setting up shelters and providing safety for citizens. All donations made to OutRight will go directly to the cause.
You can donate here.
If you are unable to donate, or would like to do more to support LGBTQ+ citizens, the you can also sign up to OutRight’s newsletter here to stay up to date on the crisis and how it is affecting LGBTQ+ Ukrainians.
If the last few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that the situation is always shifting, and it’s critical that the appropriate information is disseminated and consumed in times like these. Staying informed about what is going on on the ground and knowing more about how citizens are being affected by the conflict is one of the best ways to support the most vulnerable in Ukraine. Here are some trust worthy sources :
- The Kyiv Independent
- The New Voice of Ukraine
- Ukraine World
- Kyiv Post
Aggression will almost certainly result in violence, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and depriving them of basic human rights, putting more people on the verge of starvation and suffering. The international community must unite with the people of Ukraine and provide all financial and humanitarian aid to those who will be affected by the humanitarian disaster that is unfolding. Please support the people of Ukraine in whatever way you can.
“It’s time for us to turn to each other, not on each other.”
-Jesse Jackson.
