The Russian invasion of Ukraine endangers hundreds of lives and leaves thousands of people homeless, as the situation continues to be unstable. Read our previous blog post to know more about the Russia-Ukraine Conflict.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed while following the current news events and are seeking opportunities to support Ukrainians, keep reading to learn more.
Donate for Medical Supplies and Humanitarian Aid
Nova Ukraine, the Ukraine-based nonprofit organization, provides citizens with everyday supplies – everything from baby food and hygiene products to clothes and household supplies. Donate here.
People in Need is providing humanitarian aid to over 200,000 people on the ground, which includes food packages, emergency shelter, safe access to drinking water, hygiene items, and coal for heating. Donate here.
The Ukrainian Red Cross does various forms of humanitarian work, from aiding refugees to training doctors. Donate here.
International Medical Corps is on the front lines and prepared to help citizens with emergency health care services. The organization also provides mental health and psychosocial support. They are prioritizing COVID-19 awareness and prevention services, to help keep displaced citizens safe from the pandemic. Donate here.
CARE International is responding to the crisis by supplying Ukrainians in need with food, hygiene kits, psychosocial help services, access to clean water, and access to cash. Donate here.
Voices of Children is a Ukraine-based aid organization that provides psychological help to children who have witnessed and experienced war. Some of the techniques used are art therapy and storytelling to support children’s emotional wellbeing. Donate here.
United Help Ukraine is an American nonprofit organization formed after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Currently, they are raising money to send first aid kits and other humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Donate here.
Cryptocurrency Donations: Verified BTC, ETH, and USDT address to donate in crypto - Ukraine's Official Twitter.
Resources for people stranded in Ukraine
Resources for Ukrainian Refugees and Supporters, here.
Contact Igor Marinelli (Founder - TRACTIAN) if you're a Ukrainian Software Developer, Marketer, Designer, Data Scientist, Hardware Engineer, etc., they'll pay for your air ticket departing from any airport in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and sponsor your VISA and dependents (for up to 6 months or more if possible) in Brazil.
Contact Liam Fallen if you're trying to enter Poland from Ukraine.
Respectable Ukrainian news outlets to follow and support high-quality journalism
Slidstvo.info: NGO “Slidstvo.info” is a Ukrainian investigative project focusing on high-scale crimes, political corruption, and war crimes. Donate here.
The Kyiv Independent: It is top-notch English-language journalism in Ukraine language media outlet. It is a relatively novel news outlet but the team is led by reputable longtime journalists, as they report on war, politics, and business in Ukraine. Donate here.
Zaborona Media: Zaborona is the Ukrainian word for taboo and the journalist team aims to remove the taboo from stories that matter and get to the heart of human rights issues in Eastern Europe. The team is investigating topics such as violations of Ukrainian workers’ rights, arms trafficking, and corruption. Support here.
UKRPravda News: This media organization is among the most influential in Ukraine. Reporters break large-scale political scoops and uncover officials abusing their power, pioneering freedom of information in the region. Donate here.
Refugee support
Thousands of Ukrainians will flee to other countries in the region to escape the war. If you are located in Central or Eastern parts of Europe, consider volunteering, donating, and supporting the local refugee organizations in your country.
United Nations aid agencies warn that the conflict in Ukraine could bring five million refugees to depart from the country. Currently, Poland is preparing to receive one million refugees from Ukraine.
If you are not located in a country close to Ukraine, consider donating to The UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The UNHCR has stepped up its level of activities and capacity in Ukraine to support all affected populations in Ukraine and countries in the region. Donate here.
Be thoughtful about where you get your information from
We live in an age with a constant news cycle including TV news programs, social media, and online reporting. This round-the-clock news system is built on the success of getting to the information and reporting on it first. It is important to keep in mind that “first” is rarely the most trustworthy and most valid information.
Focus on getting your information from reputable sources, preferably directly on the ground in Ukraine. If you are sourcing the information from a website, check the “About” section – is the source in any way connected to a political party? Does it have an agenda?
If the information found comes from an individual, ask yourself how has this person accessed the knowledge? Are they on the ground? What is their qualification?
Avoid getting information from political parties, small or newly created social media accounts, social media posts with no references to the source, or news organizations with no accountability structures in place. If a source is the only one posting about the specific matter, avoid it. Always do as much “digging” as you can, especially if you are doubtful.
Be thoughtful about whose posts you share and what you post
Practice taking a step back to take time to double-check the facts you are about to post on your social media. Do not repost information unless you are completely confident in what you are sharing to avoid being the agents of the spread of disinformation.
Everybody makes mistakes - even well-trusted media organizations and experienced journalists. Although, if it turns out that the information shared is incorrect, you have the responsibility to take time to correct the mistake publicly.
Most importantly, if you do not want to take the time to verify sources, facts, and statements or you do not have time resources to do so, do not post, repost or publish the information in the first place.
Your actions do matter
The bottom line is that there is plenty of injustice in the world we live in. War in Ukraine is not the first or the last conflict we will ever see. It is important to highlight that whatever action you decide to take on improving people’s lives in Ukraine or elsewhere in the world does matter.
Read our previous blog post to know more about the Russia-Ukraine Conflict.
More resources to keep you updated on this issue:
> Twitter accounts to follow for real-time updates - https://twitter.com/unixterminal/status/1496692445832167427
> Mapping the Ukraine-Russia crisis - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682
> Facts about Ukraine - https://www.visualcapitalist.com/map-explainer-ukraine/
> What will happen if Russia takes control of Ukraine? - https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/status/1496862856935251969
> What Vladimir Putin wants-and How Russia's War in Ukraine Could Reshape the World? (Podcast) - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fRtZEYipvqzHTbBwjmGnU
> Putin's Miscalculation (Politico) - https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-war-russia-vladimir-putin-miscalculation/
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References (click the arrow to expand)
Kristiana Nitisa is an investigative journalist based in Sweden. She is also a research journalist at the International Youths Organization for Peace and Sustainability.
Inputs and Edits by Sovena Ngeth.