What You Can Do to Help People and Animals of Ukraine

One of the poorest countries in Europe, Ukraine has faced a terrible crisis since 2014. With the Russian invasion two weeks ago, the situation of civilians and animals is simply devastating. Ukrainian cities, schools and hospitals are being bombed every day, causing suffering to many people and animals. We must act now to help all those affected by this conflict. What is the best way to help?

Money donations 

The best way to help the people and animals of Ukraine is to donate funds directly to charity organisations. Cash donations are the quickest and most direct way to support charities in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. A money donation means the organisations can help with locally sourced items and transport items quickly to the right place. 

The British Red Cross

The British Red Cross launched a fundraising campaign and is constantly updating its webpage with the news on its team's work. The charity has been working with The Ukrainian Red Cross Society to help people affected by the war. 

Money donations directly to British Red Cross are used to reach people directly affected by the conflict, including delivering food and clean water, providing first aid, shelter support, warm clothing, hygiene products and medicines. 

One of the ways the charity is helping in Ukraine is providing hospitals and medical facilities, local firefighters and civil protection units with supply and training on first aid, life-saving methods, and risks of explosives. 

The British Red Cross also helps families stay in contact with each other and repair vital infrastructure, homes, hospitals, schools. 

Volunteering and donating goods

You can also volunteer for one of the charities to help them organise help or donate items that are particularly needed in Ukraine. However, these kinds of donations are more complicated for the charities to process and may delay more urgent life-saving. 

The British Red Cross, for example, is not accepting clothes, food or medical supplies for Ukraine at the moment as these items are hard to get to the right place fast. They have to be sorted, cleaned, and transported, which engage the work of many volunteers and significantly slows down the response.

Many organisations across the UK are still collecting essential goods for Ukraine, such as clothes, food, pet food, first aid and sanitary products based on the list of specific items needed. Many of them have been busy processing existing items, so it's better to check with the organisers before dropping your donations off. 

International and local charities helping people of Ukraine

Several international charities are working and fundraising to organise help those that are affected by the violence in Ukraine. One of them is Sunflower of Peace. The organisation focuses on helping doctors and paramedics. It distributes first aid kits, tactical medical first-aid bags, medical instruments, medicine and other means of survival.

Voices of Children focuses on helping children affected by the war in Ukraine. They organise psychological support, assistance and therapy for kids so they can overcome the consequences of war in the future and develop. 

Charities with experience in responding to disasters are the quickest to reach victims on the ground. Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal helps to provide food, clean water and shelter to refugees and displaced civilians, families and kids. 

Charities helping animals in Ukraine

UAnimals based in Ukraine is helping all animal shelters and animals displaced during the war. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, risking their lives, the charity provides food and evacuates animals to safe shelters across the country.

ADA Foundation is an animal clinic based in Przemysl, a Polish city near the border with Ukraine is offering assistance to pets evacuated from Ukraine. To help all the rescued animals pouring in from Ukraine, they need additional funds and items such as pet food, dog leashes, kennel cages, animal transporters, collars and pet bowls.

Forgotten Animals is a UK charity on a mission to save as many animals as possible from despair in post Sovietic countries. Currently, they are focusing on helping animals in Ukraine. So far, they have helped 15 rescues and shelters with thousands of cats and dogs and other kinds of animals, such as horses, big cats, bears and other wild animals.

Network For Animals has been donating food for shelters in the cities across Ukraine. They have been rushing aid to the animals since the war began. Its volunteers risk their lives to help animals in Ukraine. 

Polish animal rights charity Viva! Polska has launched fund-raising campaign to collect money for medical treatment, pet food and chips for dos and cats evacuated from Ukraine. The charity is helping find shelters and private houses in Poland that can take care of dogs and cats saved from the war zone. It also delivers food for the shelters in Ukraine.

EAZA is collecting funds and organising distribution of goods for Ukrainian zoos. They provide food and care to animals in conditions of relative welfare and safety

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) supports Ukrainias dog and cat shelters with food and medical supplies, as well as sanctuaries. Save Wild’s White Rock Bear Shelter, a bear rehabilitation center in Chubyns’ke outside of Kyiv and Four Paws’ Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr in the Lviv region, Ukraine. 

Supporting independent journalism

There are English-language media outlets based in Ukraine, created by independent journalists, such as the New Voice of Ukraine and Kyiv Independent. They are covering the news on the conflict, working with local journalists placed around the country. By supporting Ukrainian journalists, you help to avoid spreading fake news sponsored and distributed by Russian government propaganda and misinformation. 

#StandWithUkraine