Ukraine war: Refugees Welcome campaign raises more than £60,000 in first 24 hours

Refugees Welcome: The Independent is raising money to help Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion

The Independent’s campaign to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees has exceeded £60,000 in less than 24 hours – money that will buy life-saving and vital support for many of the hundreds of thousands of innocent people forced to flee their homes.

Working with the Red Cross and Save The Children, we will be giving aid to Ukrainians crossing the border in freezing temperatures into Poland, Romania, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia, as well as people displaced from their homes within Ukraine.

The fundraiser, part of our Refugees Welcome appeal, will deliver accommodation, clothing, food, sanitary goods, medicines, toys and other necessities.

Donate here

It will allow people escaping the war to phone loved ones left behind and follow developments on the internet.

Save the Children, a beneficiary of the appeal and a charity that has worked in Ukraine since 2014, will provide cash and vouchers, as well as shelter, warm clothes and blankets, hygiene packs and psychological support to refugees.

With more than half a million Ukrainians having to leave behind homes, schools and normal lives, together with nearly everything they own, the need is urgent. So please give generously through our GoFundMe page.

Save the Children says £10 will buy a family hygiene kit, £50 will feed a mother and her children for a fortnight and £100 will provide a displaced family with emergency shelter.

The Independent has also launched a petition calling on the UK government to be at the forefront of the international community offering aid and support to a nation in need.

Sign our petition now

Thousands of Ukrainian children have lost parents, brothers, sisters and friends in the Russian attacks or have had to say a heartbreaking goodbye to fathers who stayed behind to fight.

Gwen Hines, chief executive of Save the Children UK, said: “Millions of children are at grave risk of physical harm and emotional distress. Any family forced from their home needs shelter, food, water – the absolute basics.

“We’re also in mid-winter with temperatures below zero, which makes displacement even more dangerous. We’re providing life-saving assistance in the form of food, water, cash. Please help.”

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.