How Can You Help People in Ukraine?

Updated: Mar 3, 2022

Many of us have watched the tragic Russian invasion of Ukraine unfold on the news these past few days. Russian President Vladimir Putin has continually and rapidly escalated the crisis, leading to increasing levels of unnecessary human suffering. In December, Russia began building a military presence along the border, to the alarm of the international community. Four days after the close of the Beijing Winter Olympics, on February 24, joint Belrussian and Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Since then (in 5 days), Russian forces have seized the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, carried out air strikes in Lviv (a populated city in the western part of Ukraine), and have attacked the capital of Kyiv. Recently, Russian military forces have unleashed indiscriminant bombing of civilian buildings in Kharkiv. As of now, valiant Ukrainian forces have protected Kyiv from total invasion and the Ukrainian government under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains intact.

Nonetheless, appalling images of charred buildings, debris, explosions lighting up the sky, and Ukrainians sheltering in crowded bomb shelters or subway stations have been flooding social media, giving people around the world constant and real coverage of the developing war. As of now, more than half a million Ukrainians have fled the country, flooding into surrounding countries like Poland, Moldova, Slovakia, and Hungary. Most of them left the majority of their belongings, their homes, and in many cases, adult male family members that have been required to stay in the country to fight. Those civlians who stayed behind are facing a humanitarian crisis, with hospitals, pharmacies, and grocery stores running low on supplies.

Putin’s actions have elicited a strong response from the international community, namely in the form of harsh sanctions against Russia, such as their removal from the SWIFT international banking system. Even Switzerland, which almost always remains neutral in international conflicts, joined in on EU sanctions and froze Russian assets in the country. Following a recommendation from the U.S. Olympic Committee, Russian sports teams have been banned from many major sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup. The US, UK, and other countries have also sent weapons, humanitarian aid, and other supplies to Ukraine. However, most have refrained from sending troops for fear of provoking Vladimir Putin to unleash Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

As many of us have watched these heartbreaking visuals and stories pouring out of Ukraine, we have been left wondering how we can help, despite being ordinary citizens an ocean away. Now, you can support the #StandWithUkraine movement and help Ukrainians by visiting the humanitarian organizations listed below, which are looking for support through the form of donations.

Support free press with the Kyiv Independent, an English-language media outlet launched three months ago from Ukraine. It has been through some rough times lately, but is committed to providing updated coverage of Ukrainian issues. Donations can be made via its GoFundMe and Patreon accounts, which will be used to free press alive in Ukraine.

Voices of Children is a charitable foundation created in 2015 in response to conflicts in eastern Ukraine (yes, tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been brewing for a long time.) The organization focuses on addressing the psychological effect of armed conflict on children all over the world by providing art therapy and mobile psychologists.

Sunflower of Peace is a US-based organization dedicated to supporting Ukrainian soldiers, displaced citizens, and front-line volunteers by supplying backpacks with critical first aid and medical supplies.

International humanitarian organization CARE, which has been around since 1945, recently set up an emergency Ukrainian Crisis Fund with the goal of providing water, food, supplies, hygiene kits, immediate aid, and cash to Ukrainian families.

Razom for Ukraine is an aptly-named (“razom” means “together” in Ukrainian) Ukrainian-American nonprofit dedicated to amplify voices from Ukraine and help unlock the potential of Ukraine through international civic engagement and conversations with the US. While it has its own fundraiser to support its emergency response to the war, it also provides other resources for people looking to support Ukrainian independence with rallies and events.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is an international organization that works to provide aid to refugees and displaced people around the world, and they have been operational for nearly 90 years. They have set up an emergency fund for Ukrainian refugees currently fleeing the country and met with humanitarian groups in Poland and Ukraine to gauge the need for supplies. Their website reports that the war could displace 5 million people.