One Kharkiv resident told the Associated Press, “Today I had the worst sunrise of my life.” She went to the balcony on February 24th, only to discover that the sounds that had awoken her were not fireworks.
The lives of Ukrainians were disrupted on February 24th when Russia invaded from the east. Ukrainian residents are hiding underground, some in metro stations, while others are fleeing the nation. The situation swiftly devolved into chaos, with cars clogging the highways as people attempted to flee Kiev and enormous queues of people waiting to withdraw money from banks. Many people with bags take the metro since they don’t know where else to go.
A day after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, over 100 people were killed and 300 others were injured. With the dangerous event happening in the country, many Ukrainian residents are choosing to leave the country and flee for safety more than ever in unprecedented record numbers. More than 2% of Ukraine’s population has been displaced in less than a week, according to UNHCR figures. The UNHCR estimates that roughly 4 million people will flee Ukraine, with a warning that this estimate could be increased upwards.
One of the most crucial things you can do right now for Ukraine is to read and distribute only verifiable, truthful information regarding Russia’s attack, and provide assistance to those whose lives have been thrown into disarray as a result of violence and conflict.
If you are wondering which organizations are credible to donate to Ukraine, consider this list of charities and non-governmental organizations for reference:
- The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund
The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) is a multi-donor humanitarian financing vehicle overseen by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC). Founded in February 2019, it helps meet the most pressing needs of eastern Ukraine’s conflict-affected population, which would otherwise go unaddressed.
Through cooperative planning and an inclusive and field-driven decision-making process, the Fund receives undesignated funds from donors and allocates them in response to pressing humanitarian needs. The United Nations Humanitarian Fund (UHF) received US$9.5 million in 2020 from 11 contributors, including multilateral, bilateral, and private sources. The Fund appreciates the donors’ confidence and anticipates ongoing support in 2021.
- Razom Emergency Response
Razom Emergency Response is the SOS button that is pressed in times of need. It was established to provide immediate assistance and support to the people of Ukraine in the face of a dire and unforeseeable scenario. Today, Ukraine’s sovereign nation is confronted with the most dreadful and disastrous emergency imaginable: a ruthless invasion. Razom is reacting by supplying critical medical supplies and amplifying Ukrainians’ voices.
Medical supplies for severe emergencies such as blood loss and other tactical medicine products are the focus of the present emergency response. They have a big volunteer procurement team that locates and purchases materials, as well as a logistical team that transports the items to Ukraine. They coordinate with a number of partner organizations throughout the world, including Nova Ukraine, United Help Ukraine, Revived Soldiers Ukraine, Sunflower for Peace, and Euromaidan-Warszawa, through many meetings every day. They also collaborate on humanitarian corridors with governments and embassies.
- Lifeline Ukraine
Paul Niland, an Irish writer, pundit, and businessman who has lived in Ukraine for nearly 20 years, formed Lifeline Ukraine. The project began in 2019 at the request of Dr. Ulana Suprun, the then-Acting Minister of Health. The Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the Ministry of Social Policy, and the Ministry of Defence all support the project.
Lifeline Ukraine is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week, national, professional suicide prevention and mental health assistance hotline. Too many veterans in Ukraine commit suicide, and this situation has to be addressed. Lifeline Ukraine was founded to serve soldiers and their families first and foremost.
- Help Us Help
Help Us Help is a non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for orphaned children in Ukraine. Help Us Help The Children’s goal and the aim is to provide urgent assistance to Ukraine’s most vulnerable citizens: children. Help Us Help The Children’s devoted core group of volunteers has been able to devote significant time and attention to satisfy the fundamental requirements of disadvantaged and orphan children in Ukraine thanks to the help of private, institutional, corporate, and government sponsors.
Help Us Help prioritizes finding and distributing Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs) to volunteer medics caring for conflict victims when it comes to medical supplies. IFAKs is a top priority for Ukrainian medics, who are distributing them to those living in high-risk locations. Aid materials are being distributed to volunteer medics and first responders who can assist in the treatment of people who have been injured as a result of the current conflict in Ukraine, especially civilians and children.
- Revived Soldiers Ukraine
Revived Soldiers Ukraine (RSU) is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the people of Ukraine in exercising fundamental rights and freedoms such as the right to life, the right to appropriate and affordable medical care, the freedom of religion, and the right to a decent standard of living. It works with the international community to raise awareness about human rights and freedoms while also providing humanitarian assistance to people in need.
Their goal is to provide medical assistance and a secure living environment for Ukrainian soldiers and their families, as well as those who have suffered and been affected by the violence in the ATO zone (anti-terrorist operation in Eastern Ukraine).
- Save The Children
Save The Children has been responding to the combat emergency in eastern Ukraine since 2014, offering lifesaving interventions and helping the most vulnerable families meet their basic requirements by providing food, shelter, coal, multi-purpose cash grants, clothing, and medicine.
They provide Community Centers and mobile outreach teams where war-affected children and their caregivers can receive psychosocial support. Their programs promote the development of positive coping methods, life skills, and resilience. Seminars on mine risk education are also held in schools and nurseries to raise awareness about the dangers of mines and other explosive remnants of war.
More Ways To Help
If donations aren’t an option to you, social media activism and following specific news agencies to get to know more about evolving stories is a great stepping stone to start your understanding of the current situation. We suggest following this independent media site for unbiased and updated information on the event:
The Kyiv Independent: The Kyiv Independent is a Ukrainian English-language news organization founded by journalists who left the Kyiv Post to advocate for editorial independence. The Kyiv Independent is an excellent source of Ukrainian news with high journalistic standards with the aim to help Ukrainian civil society.
IVolunteer International is a 501(c)3 tech-nonprofit registered in the United States with operations worldwide. Using a location-based mobile application, we mobilize volunteers to take action in their local communities. Our vision is to create 7-billion volunteers. We are an internationally recognized nonprofit organization and are also a Civil Society Associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications. Visit our profiles on Guidestar, Greatnonprofits, and FastForward.
