Ukraine war: Refugees Welcome campaign raises more than £100,000 in under a week

Refugees Welcome: The Independent has launched a campaign to support Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war

The Independent’s campaign to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees fleeing their homes to escape the war waged by Russia has raised more than £100,000 in less than a week.

The donations will go towards providing vital support for those displaced by the conflict, who have been forced to leave behind homes, jobs and families as they seek out safety.

The fundraiser, part of our Refugees Welcome appeal, will help charities to deliver humanitarian aid, including accommodation, clothing, food, sanitary goods and medicine.

From Thursday, The Independent announced that all new funds raised would go to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal launched that day. This brings together 13 leading UK aid charities providing support overseas, including the Red Cross and Save the Children, whose efforts donations had supported up to that point.

And every donation from our readers to the DEC appeal will be matched pound-for-pound by the UK government, up to £20m.

The 13 member charities who will receive donations from our appeal are: Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Oxfam, Save the Children UK, Plan International UK, and World Vision UK.   

These work to provide essential aid, including medical help, warm clothes, beds and psychosocial support, both inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries.

To donate, please click here for our GoFundMe page.

The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015.

Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here