We are launching the Refugees Welcome fund to raise money for the thousands of men, women and children who are fleeing the fighting in Ukraine. The crisis has shocked our readers and the world, and – as part of our Refugees Welcome campaign – we have set up a fund to bring desperately-needed help to those who need it now.
Your donations will go to charities on the ground, including the Red Cross, who are supporting refugees crossing the border into Ukraine’s neighbours – Poland, Romania, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia – as well as people displaced from their homes within Ukraine. Funds will be used to provide humanitarian aid in the form of food, water, warm clothes, medical supplies and shelter. Please give generously.
The United Nations’ latest estimate is that more than 500,000 Ukrainians have already crossed the border, and that figure is expected to rise dramatically in the coming days.
Journeys are long and fraught with anxiety, with a normal two-hour train trip turned into an 18-hour ordeal. Others are having to walk 50km to the border, carrying their children and what few possessions they can manage.
Mike Adamson, chief executive of the British Red Cross, said: “We are gravely concerned about the unfolding crisis in Ukraine. People are losing their homes and lives; families are being separated.
“Essential services, like water and healthcare, are under threat. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the country. Donations will help us reach displaced people in Ukraine and those fleeing to neighbouring countries with food, water, medicine, medical equipment and other essentials. Any donation makes a difference.”
The Independent has also launched a petition asking for the UK government to be the leading voice from the international community helping the people of Ukraine. To show your support and sign the petition, click here.
