You can help Ukrainian refugees by donating food, spreading awareness and rallying for help.
Three weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the world’s attention may be starting to shift but the humanitarian crisis is only getting more dire.
As shelling of all of the country’s major cities continues, more than three million Ukrainians have fled to become refugees in neighboring countries.
Many watching the unfolding scenes with horror want to help how they can but, for one reason or another, are not able to donate money.
But there are still a number of things one can do for Ukrainians and Ukraine.
Donating Food, Clothes And Other Supplies To Ukraine:
Uprooted from their homes, both refugees and Ukrainians still in the country often lack basic supplies such as food, diapers, medicine and clothing.
U.S.-based nonprofits Nova Ukraine and Meest-America has been collecting these items at warehouses from California to New Jersey and shipping them to Ukraine.
That said, this way of helping may be more feasible for British and European readers, due to proximity and lower cost of shipping, charities that organize and facilitate shipping are more prevalent (pick from any number of drop-off points here) in those countries.
If you live outside of Europe, just a few dollars to a charity doing on-the-ground work will generally stretch much farther than cans or other heavy items. You can read our list of safe ways to donate here.
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Helping Ukrainian Refugees In Your Country:
As neighboring countries like Poland deal with overwhelming numbers of refugees (the number of Ukrainian refugees in the country is now equal to the population of Warsaw), some may soon get redirected to countries like Canada and the U.S.
With the countries currently in the process of launching visa pathways for displaced Ukrainians, information on how you may be able to do everything from hosting a family to helping local churches and organizations that were able to sponsor some will soon start coming out.
Keep your eyes peeled and, if you’re a host on Airbnb (ABNB) – Get Airbnb, Inc. Class A Report, offer to temporarily house a Ukrainian family in advance.
That said, the U.S. and Canada have generally been much slower to launch these programs.
Another option? Rally lawmakers in your country to accept more refugees.
Promote Ukrainians Doing On-The-Ground Work
In any war, the individuals and families most affected often get lost to abstract battles and concepts. It is more important than ever to promote individuals from the area who are doing on-the-ground work.
Throughout the crisis, journalists from publications like the Kyiv Independent and the New Voice of Ukraine have continued to report in English from bomb shelters, shelled homes and other battle-worn places.
Journalists like Myroslava Petsa and Olga Tokariuk have been reporting out of Kyiv and are worth a follow.
ANDREY BORODULIN/AFP via Getty Images
If you can’t donate money, one option is also to raise awareness by promoting organizations that are raising funds supplies.
The United Nations humanitarian appeal fund, International Medical Corps, Ukrainian Red Cross and People In Need are just a few options.
Not Letting Your Attention Go Elsewhere:
One of the most significant ways to help is to continue following the war even as the world’s attention diverts to other issues.
Continue sharing information, following on-the-ground journalists and, naturally, calling for peace.
Do this by writing to local lawmakers — if you’re not sure what to ask, here are some calls put together by 40 Ukrainian organizations in the Kyiv Declaration — and sharing what’s happening on social media and attending peace rallies are some of the options for doing that.
And for the truly committed, try to keep track of what is happening to refugees and come back to these lists of charities months from now.
While the current flood of donations and help will inevitably fizzle out, the devastating financial, health and emotional struggles of most Ukrainian refugees are only just beginning.
