What is going on in Ukraine and how to help

Senior & Junior Executives Leadership
EmzyWah, | Purified | Heide | chuuukook | skylarrose12

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The Junior and Senior Executive Leadership have created a newsletter on the situation in Ukraine! Here you will learn about what is currently going on, and how you can help out from the comfort of your own home.

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What is going on in Ukraine

After the Soviet Union disintegrated in the early 1990s, NATO expanded outwards, eventually welcoming the majority of the European nations that had been under Communist control. NATO members include the Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which were once part of the Soviet Union, as well as Poland, Romania, and others. 

As a result of, NATO shifting dozens of kilometers nearer to Moscow, bordering Russia directly. And, in 2008, stating that it intended to enlist Ukraine maybe some day, though this is still seen as a long-term possibility. NATO's expansion, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is dangerous. The possibility of Ukraine choosing to join it poses a significant threat. Russia's concerns about NATO have become more outspoken as it has expanded more forceful and militarily firmer.

On the evening of February 24th, Russian missiles struck military facilities and civilian populations inside Ukraine and Russian armoured vehicles crossed the border.

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Ways you can help Ukraine

One simple step, experts say, is to remain informed about the conflict and to be cautious about the information that’s spread on social media. Disinformation is one of Russia’s favourite weapons of war, and accidentally amplifying it can harm civilians.

Another easy step is to donate money. Most large international aid organisations, including UNICEF, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee, are currently working in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, where a growing number of displaced people are fleeing.

A number of American grassroots and regional organisations, most of which were providing aid to displaced people in the country before the latest conflict began, are also worthy of support. Here are six who accept online donations.

Voices of Children
Voices of Children is a Ukraine-based aid organisation that provides psychological support to children who have witnessed war. It uses art therapy and storytelling to support children’s wellbeing, and provides financial support to families who have suffered as a result of war.

Vostok SOS
Vostok SOS, which is also based in Ukraine, partners with German-Swiss NGO Libereco to provide immediate evacuation support to Ukrainians attempting to flee their homes. Vostok maintains a hotline for Ukrainians in need and, going forward, hopes to provide trauma support to victims of the Russian invasion.

Malteser International
Malteser International, a nonprofit based in Malta, has been collecting “everyday” supplies for Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes. “What is especially needed are everyday medicines, as well as cots, blankets, food, and cash to provide for the many people affected,” Oliver Hochedez, head of Malteser International’s emergency relief department, said in a public statement.

United Help Ukraine
United Help Ukraine is an American nonprofit that formed after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. It’s currently raising money to send first aid kits and other humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The fund has surpassed its goal of $600,000, but is still accepting donations.

Nova Ukraine
Nova Ukraine, also an American nonprofit, works closely with Ukraine-based organisations and is currently assembling supply packages that include diapers for children and adults, baby food, hospital supplies, and dry foods for a children’s orphanage in Donetsk.

Sunflower of Peace
Another American nonprofit, Sunflower of Peace, is raising money to put together first aid backpacks for paramedics and doctors on the front lines. In 2014, the organisation also raised money to build the first aid backpacks for medical professionals providing aid to those fleeing the annexation of Crimea. “It meant the world to [medical professionals] then and it will mean the world to them now,” wrote Katya Malakhova, the fundraiser’s coordinator, in a Facebook post. The fund has also surpassed its goal—$200,000—but is continuing to fundraise.

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