Join us in helping families in need of emergency aid in Ukraine
Families in Ukraine urgently need your help
The situation in Ukraine is dire and families in Ukraine urgently need your help. With over 14 million people in Ukraine requiring humanitarian assistance; the war has caused one of the biggest and fastest growing refugee crises in Europe since World War II.
Please stand with us as we call for an end to this conflict. There are several ways you can help:
– Call for international action and accountability to protect families –
– Share our work with your networks so more people can help us help those who need it the most –
– Organise a fundraiser at your school or club –
– Donate what you can –
ReliefAid is providing life-saving aid in Ukraine
ReliefAid has been delivering lifesaving aid in Ukraine since the start of the conflict. Over two years on, more than 14 million people in Ukraine still need humanitarian assistance and there is no end in sight.
Approximately one third of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes due to the war; 6 million of these are displaced as refugees abroad but 3.7 million civilians remain displaced within their own country.
Many families that remain live in bomb-damaged buildings and collective centres, even more live without electricity, gas, running water or access to the basics like food and hygiene materials. Every day this number grows.
2024 has seen increased shelling and advances in regions such as Kharkiv, situated perilously close to the Russian border, where many have been forced to evacuate. Residents in frontline communities face the agonising choice between displacement or potential danger at home.
Missile damage north of Kyiv. Photo taken during a needs assessment visit, Mike Seawright on the right-hand side.
ReliefAid’s goal is to reach as many people as possible with the aid they need. We have distributed emergency food, medical supplies, warm clothing, shelter equipment and materials for repairing missile damage to homes and buildings.
These necessities help to keep families alive and offer hope until more permanent solutions can be found.
Behind each image of a destroyed building lies the lives of families who once called this place home. Damage and destruction to homes and infrastructure in Ukraine is widespread.
Over 1.5 million homes have been destroyed and many more have been severely affected by collateral damage.
With your support we are doing what we can to help people in Ukraine rebuild their homes and lives.
ReliefAid’s humanitarian action in Ukraine includes:
1. Providing emergency home repair materials
Many homes in Ukraine are beyond repair and others will need significant building work to make them habitable again. As front lines move some families have been able to return home and see first-hand the damage. These families are desperate to return to their homes but, even if they are repairable sourcing the materials needed is difficult.
ReliefAid is currently distributing home repair materials to families in the front-line regions of Mykolaiv, Nikopol and Kharkiv. These emergency repair materials include supplies to fill in broken ceilings, walls, and windows to seal homes and make them weatherproof.
Winter distributions of reconstruction materials to homes in Kharkiv (left) and Mykolaiv (right)
Elena’s Story
Elena has called Kharkiv home since 1963, sharing her life and laughter with her six children in their house. However, their world was shattered when missile strikes hit their home twice, leaving it severely damaged. Before the war, Elena’s home was filled with “constant laughter and fun.” Now, it stands as a reminder of the conflict’s toll, and Elena struggles to feel safe within its damaged walls.
Elena received building materials from ReliefAid to patch up the holes in the walls and plaster her home, making it weatherproof. These supplies have helped her to restore some sense of normalcy and safety.
Despite the hardships, Elena’s spirit remains unbroken. Her wish for the future is simple yet profound, “for there to be peace, for everything to be in order, and for people to return home.” Her resilience and hope serve as a powerful reminder of strength found in the darkest of times.
Elena outside of her front door (left) and the inside of her home (right)
2. Providing medicines and medical supplies
The pressure on the health systems in Ukraine is huge, compounded by many hospitals and health facilities being severely damaged. In addition to destroyed infrastructure, supply chains have been disrupted, leaving hospitals and health centres without the materials needed to provide care.
ReliefAid is supporting medical centres catering for families in front line areas by delivering medical supplies to clinics that have no way of securing the healthcare products needed. Our deliveries include wound dressings and medicines for patients with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Deliveries of medical supplies and medicines to medical centres
3. Delivering shelter and hygiene items and stoves
Since the start of the conflict the impact on families in Ukraine has been heart-stopping. ReliefAid’s response has reflected the need for help over time. In 2022/23 with the support of ShelterBox and local partners we conducted large scale distributions of shelter items, wood burning stoves and hygiene kits.
With the support of our partner ShelterBox we are delivering shelter items and hygiene kits. The shelter items include mattresses, thermal blankets, water containers and solar lamps with cell phone charging capability. Hygiene kits provide families with essential sanitary items, from toothpaste to toilet rolls, and detergent to laundry powder.
ReliefAid stove distributions (left) and the Doroshenko family with their shelter items (right)
4. Providing emergency food supplies
Frontlines move and people living in places impacted by the worst of the fighting can be left unable to get food. In these areas, as soon as we can get access, we have delivered emergency food packs.
These packs contain staple food items such as fresh food, tinned goods, dried foods, and infant food.
Emergency food supplies being delivered
5. Taking care of children – kids camps and cancer support
The war in Ukraine has deeply impacted children, with nearly two-thirds displaced, and no child immune from the trauma surrounding them. Children who live, or previously lived, in frontline areas have suffered the worst, having been robbed of their childhoods by war. To provide these children with respite from their current situation, ReliefAid sponsors kids camps that provide a safe haven, promote mental well-being and help children develop coping mechanisms.
Sadly cancer does not stop for war, but the battle against it becomes even more daunting due to the war’s impact; logistical challenges, late detection leading to delayed treatments, economic and emotional exhaustion. ReliefAid, thanks to donor support, is providing critical medical assistance to children undergoing treatment.
Children at the ReliefAid kids’ camps (left) and smiles from a patient who has been supported by ReliefAid for their treatment (right)
How do we operate?
We are working with volunteers and communities in Ukraine who are doing their utmost to support each other. Our strength is in building networks on the ground within local communities so aid can reach the people directly.
The situation in Ukraine is dire. Can you help us continue to get aid to those most in need?
Donate today to help us meet the immediate and urgent needs of people who have been left with nothing but fear and uncertainty.