13 Ways To Help The People Of Ukraine Right Now
Gabby Shacknai
After several weeks of growing tensions, diplomatic sanctions, and ultimately futile attempts to impede President Vladimir Putin’s planned attack, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine early Thursday morning. As nearly 200,000 Russian troops crossed into Ukraine, targeting a number of the country’s key military sites and marking the official start of war, many world leaders warned that the conflict could soon become the biggest in Europe since World War II.
“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” President Joe Biden said in a statement shortly after the attacks began. Mere hours later, the invasion has already caused dozens of deaths in the capital of Kyiv and beyond, and an estimated 100,000 Ukrainian civilians have fled their homes in search of safety. Supermarkets, pharmacies, ATMs, and gas stations are overflowing with people, as they rush to stock up on supplies; subway stations are being used as bomb shelters; and some parents are even putting stickers on their children to indicate their blood types.
As news of the invasion—and its consequences for the Ukrainian people—has spread, many have watched in horror, feeling desperate to help. Major protests and demonstrations in support of Ukraine’s right to independence are underway outside of Russian embassies across the globe, with more expected over the weekend, but a handful of organizations are also actively working to provide food, shelter, medical supplies, and support to affected civilians. Here are some ways you can help.
United Help Ukraine
This nonprofit volunteer organization distributes medical supplies, food, and donations to Ukrainian refugees and people on the ground in Ukraine, as well as offers support to Ukrainian families who have lost soldiers to war. Donations toward their current fundraiser will help provide emergency medical aid and humanitarian relief to those on the front lines.
The UN Refugee Agency, USA for UNHCR, is accepting donations via a restricted fund to provide emergency aid to children, women and men displaced by the violence in Ukraine.
Razom, which in Ukrainian means “together,” was originally founded in 2014 to support Ukrainians after Russia annexed Crimea. Now, the volunteer organization is on the ground providing relief for soldiers and doctors on the frontlines.
The global nonprofit’s Ukrainian branch is accepting donations to go towards distributing vital aid and resources to Ukrainian civilians affected by the Russian invasion.
This organization works to provide psychological and psychosocial support to Ukrainian children affected by conflict.
Nova Ukraine is an American nonprofit that works with activists and other organizations in Ukraine to offer humanitarian aid to vulnerable groups and individuals. The organization accepts both monetary donations and the donation of children's shoes and clothing, bedding, personal hygiene items, wheelchairs, and more.
Ukraine’s English-language media outlet, The Kyiv Independent, is reporting on the invasion from the ground. You can support the newspaper by donating to its GoFundMe or Patreon.
Come Back Alive is a local organization which The Kyiv Independent has suggested donating to. It supports the Ukrainian military by offering supplies, protection, training, and psychological support to soldiers.
This is another organization that directly helps Ukrainian troops by providing food and other supplies.
UNICEF, together with its partners, is at the forefront of the humanitarian response in eastern Ukraine and is supporting vulnerable children and families affected by the conflict with essential services, including health, education, protection, water, and sanitation. The organization is seeking $66.4 million to provide access to these services and emergency cash assistance for up to 7.5 million children. You can donate to the fund here.
One of the world’s oldest humanitarian aid organizations, CARE, has launched a relief effort in Ukraine along with local partners on the ground. With a goal of $20 million, it is poised to help at least four million Ukrainians with immediate aid and recovery in the form of food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support services, and cash assistance.
This Los Angeles-based nonprofit and global first responder has been working in Ukraine since 1999, from delivering essential medicines to healthcare facilities to training more than 500 local doctors and staff. Now, it’s providing free medical and mental health services to civilians there, and you can help support the work by donating here.
Other Ways to Help
In addition to offering financial support, sharing accurate, fact-based information about the Russian invasion of Ukraine with your friends, family, and social media followers can help raise awareness about the situation. You can also choose to boycott Russian goods and services, a move that echoes the new sanctions announced by President Biden on Thursday.
I, Gabby Shacknai, am a New York-based journalist who covers beauty and wellness, food and travel, and lifestyle. My work has appeared in Fortune, ELLE, Departures, Air Mail, Travel Leisure, and Women’s Health, among other outlets, and I have a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Columbia University and a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Edinburgh. I have been lucky enough to travel across the world, meet the changemakers and rulebreakers of various industries, and get an inside look at the trends that define our era, and I aim to share that knowledge with my readers. Confronted by a growing influx of information and content, I know how challenging it can be to find voices you can trust in this day-and-age. I believe it’s more important than ever to produce reliable stories that are backed by my own experience and the expertise of my sources, and, whether writing about a new beauty movement or profiling a fitness-world disruptor, I strive to do just that.
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