More than £85m has been raised to provide aid in Ukraine in an “absolutely incredible” show of support from the UK public.
But the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has urged people to donate money rather than goods to help those affected by the conflict.
The DEC, made up of 15 leading UK charities, thanked everyone who has contributed so far and said the message from aid workers at Ukraine’s borders and inside the invaded nation was that money is needed rather than donated items.
Giving an update on the progress of its emergency appeal on Saturday, the DEC said: “We are seeing an absolutely incredible response from the public to this appeal, which has now raised over £85m. We are grateful to everyone who is giving, organising events and helping to spread the word.
“Our member charities are at the borders and inside Ukraine responding to the huge and growing humanitarian crisis. They are telling us that what they need is funding rather than donated items. The things that people give today might not be what people need tomorrow.”
The committee said “generous donations” had been made to the appeal by the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge among others, and the latest total included £25m from the UK government.
Support local charities
There are several Ukrainian charities working on the ground. Sunflower of Peace is a charity that helps paramedics and doctors, and has been fundraising for supplies, which includes first aid medical tactical backpacks.
United Help Ukraine focuses on providing medical supplies and humanitarian aid, and raising awareness of the conflict.
Voices of Children aims to help children affected by the war in eastern Ukraine, providing support through art therapy, psychologists, video storytelling and a number of other methods.
The British Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal to help Ukraine. The charity will be updating its webpage with news on the work its team is doing, and how support will be used to help people.
Support local journalism
English-language news outlets based in the country, such as Kyiv Independent and the New Voice of Ukraine, are covering developments on the ground as the conflict unfolds, using local journalists. The Kyiv Independent says it was created by journalists in order to defend editorial independence. This site on Twitter covers many local journalists in Ukraine.
Write to your local MP
This can be a way to lobby the British government to place further sanctions on the Russian government and its associates. You can get in touch with your local MP via email or post to their constituency address. Instructions on how to get in touch can be found on parliament.uk.
The chief executive of the DEC, Saleh Saeed, urged people to donate money because “trying to transport goods from here, the UK, thousands of miles to Ukraine will take a long time and may not be necessarily what people need when it arrives”.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Saturday morning, Saeed said: “What we would advise is the things that people collect today here in the UK are not necessarily what people need tomorrow.” He added that he would urge people to “donate cash through a reputable charity”.
The DEC has warned that support for Ukraine is likely to be needed for “months and years” and urged people to keep donating.
The appeal has gained considerable traction and been highlighted by various celebrities, including Trigger Point actor Adrian Lester, Game Of Thrones’ Kit Harington and the former Doctor Who David Tennant.
