Two years on from the invasion of Ukraine, here's how you can help
The 24th of February marks two years since Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine, forcing millions to flee their homes and seek refuge across the world. Over the last 24 months, we've seen the horrific scenes splashed across the news and it's been truly heartbreaking to watch the panic and chaos unfold.
As the gravity of the conflict is continues to weigh heavy, many of us have been left feeling powerless. But there are ways we can help. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, the country is crying out for donations that will go towards humanitarian aid, psychological support, medical supplies for paramedics and doctors and independent reporting about what's actually happening in Ukraine.
With that in mind, we've compiled a list of charities and resources that urgently need your support right now.
How to help the people of Ukraine right now
The Red Cross in Ukraine
The Red Cross in Ukraine is looking for donations to help distribute aid and resources to the people of Ukraine who urgently need it.
"The Red Cross has been supporting people affected by this conflict for years, and will not stop now," the charity says on its website. As for how the money donated can help, The Red Cross explains that donations will be used to reach people in urgent need, including:
Providing food, first aid, clean water, shelter support, warm clothing, hygiene parcels and medicines
Providing first aid, first psychological aid and other humanitarian aid
Supporting fire fighters and civil protection units
Training people up in life-saving first aid
Educating people on the risks of explosives
Repairing vital infrastructure
Helping to repair homes, healthcare centres, schools and community centres
You can donate here.
Sunflower of Peace
Sunflower of Peace offers medical assistance to Ukrainian people displaced by war. The group asked for donations to prepare first aid medical backpacks for paramedics and doctors on the frontlines. The non-profit organisation has "provided hundreds of medical workers in Ukraine with critical equipment and tools during the times of scarcity; built playgrounds for orphanages in Kherson and a children's oncology centre in Kyiv and provided aid to organisations serving adults with disabilities," as per it's website.
Previously the group asked for donations to prepare first aid medical backpacks for paramedics and doctors on the frontlines. These kind of backpacks are filled with life-saving first aid supplies – bandages, medicine, medical instruments, and a means for survival in extreme conditions – and can save up to ten lives.
You can donate here.
Project HOPE
As conflict continues in Ukraine, Project HOPE is mobilising to address urgent healthcare needs for people most impacted by the crisis. "Project HOPE remains committed to delivering lifesaving health care, support and help rebuilding to the people devastated by this violence and displacement," the charity said on its website.
"We're delivering urgently-needed supplies, training for health workers and other relief to communities in Ukraine and other communities in crisis around the world."
Donate here to help deliver urgently-needed medicine, supplies and aid to families at risk from violent conflict in Ukraine.
Choose Love
"As it stands, more than 13 million people are estimated to have been displaced from their homes – including more than 4.8 million children," charity Choose Love (supported by Comic Relief) points out on its website. "So far, more than 7.7 million individuals have reportedly left the country, and an estimated 6.24 million people [are thought to be] internally displaced inside Ukraine where there is now active conflict and a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding."
Choose Love has supported over 90 projects that are providing vital aid and services to those still in and fleeing the country, including: emergency medical care, food, shelter, clothes, legal support, mental health support, support for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC and marginalised communities.
You can donate to the emergency fundraiser, here.
Razom
Razom is a non-profit supporting people of Ukraine in their continued quest for democracy and progress. Razom – which means "together" in Ukrainian – is on the ground providing relief for soldiers and doctors on the frontlines.
You can donate to their emergency response fund, here.
Plan International
Since the escalation of the war two years ago, global children’s Plan International has been working in Ukraine, Moldova, Poland, and Romania with almost 50 local partners to respond to the humanitarian crisis. The charity is especially concerned by the devastating impact the war is having on children, women, and young people, especially adolescent girls.
Sven Coppens, Director of Ukraine Crisis Response, at Plan International, said: "We cannot stress enough that the war in Ukraine continues to take a devastating toll. The humanitarian needs are vast and continue to grow. Gender-based violence has sky-rocketed and there is a growing risk of sexual exploitation and abuse. Young people have also spoken courageously and candidly about the toll the conflict has taken on their mental health.
"We urgently need more funds to scale up our work in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, where we are working with refugees who have fled the war. We are deeply grateful to the public for their support, and urge donors and governments to continue to prioritise Ukraine."
You can donate to Plan International UK’s emergency fundraiser, here.
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been on the ground in Ukraine since February 2022, and now has over 200 staff in the country, working directly and through local partners to support the millions of people in need in the areas most heavily affected by the war. The IRC works to ensure Ukrainians' most basic needs are met: by distributing essential items such as blankets and gas stoves to heat their homes in cold winter months, hygiene products and period kits for women and girls, and transferring cash to vulnerable families. It also provides safe spaces for women and children to heal from the trauma of war, helps to protect women from gender-based violence, and offers legal and financial assistance.
IRC's mobile medical teams travel to remote villages to provide primary care to vulnerable and elderly people in their homes, who otherwise have little access to healthcare.
With millions of families forced to leave their homes, the IRC has also provided support to Ukrainians who have found safety in the UK as they adjust to life here. This includes helping them to navigate local services, including the school system and NHS, helping them integrate into their new communities, and find jobs to allow them to prosper in the UK.
You can donate to the IRC's Ukraine work, here
Support Hospitals in Ukraine
Hospitals in Ukraine are in dire need of medical supplies – non-profit, Support Hospitals in Ukraine, is raising funds to get that medical equipment delivered to them as soon as they can. "Hospitals in Ukraine are under immense strain that will likely continue for a long time regardless of how quickly the war can be ended," they wrote on their donation page. "Doctors and numerous volunteers have been doing a consistently heroic job, but are in dire need of more trauma-related equipment and surgical tools."
You can donate here.
Voices of Children
Charitable foundation Voices of Children provides psychological and psychosocial support to Ukrainian children affected by the war.
You can donate, here.
Learn, listen, speak up
The Kyiv Independent
The Kyiv Independent is Ukraine’s English-language media outlet, it was created by journalists who were "fired from the Kyiv Post for defending editorial independence". They are currently reporting on the invasion. The publication relies on readers and donors to run, and their editorial aim is to serve "its readers and community, and nobody else."
You can support the newspaper by donating to its GoFundMe or Patreon.
Use your voice
Donations are vital, but not everyone has enough money to spare. You can still help in other ways. Read news and information from reliable resources – this list has been curated by Ukrainian journalists – and share it far and wide with followers, friends and your family. This Twitter list shares information from local Ukrainian journalists. Talk about what's happening. If you feel like you want to protest, there's a list of protests happening all over the world, here.
Contact your local MP
And demand a response – ask them what the British government is doing to help. To find your local MP and how to contact them, visit the government website here.
Feel more informed
Watch something about Ukraine and its history, the Netflix documentary, Winter On Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom is a good place to start. You could also listen to Ukraine World's podcast episode 'how Russia uses disinformation as an instrument of war – with Olga Tokariuk'. All reporting on Russia's invasion from The Kyiv Independent can be found here.
You Might Also Like
