On February 24, Russian President Vladmir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, beginning the first European war since World War Two. Several days later, the invasion is still ongoing as Russian forces push their way into Ukraine past capital city Kyiv.
Though some remain sequestered in the country by choice or by circumstance, other Ukrainians have been forced to vacate their country, belongings, and property to escape the fallout.
Supplies — clothing, blankets, food, shelter, and funds — are in short supply. As such, worldwide efforts have been established to both aid those seeking refuge and those still in Ukraine.
Anti-war protests have cropped up across the globe — even in Russia, where citizens are directly opposing Putin's war — as multiple NATO countries remain on military standby.
Instead, international countries have enforced economic sanctions on Russia, including an export ban and holds on Russian banks. Travel, especially on Russia's Aeroflot airlines, has also been interrupted.
At the time of writing, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signed a request for his country to join the European Union as Russian and Ukrainian officials hold talks at the Belarusian border, said to continue in the coming days.
We've put together a handful of resources about the Russia/Ukraine conflict and listed fashion brands also joining the movement. Ranging from helpful reading to donation programs to accounts worth following for verified information, this is a compendium of information meant to in learning about and understanding the conflict while supporting Ukraine from afar.
Reading
The Guardian, the New York Times and CNN are compiling live timelines of their coverage, from the aggressive inception to the current day.
BBC News has created an explainer answering plenty of basic questions about the conflict.
Protests
Donations
UNICEF – Helps provide families with access to clean water and nutritious food, making sure that child health and protection services are sustained, and helps the work with UNICEF partners and the UNHCR to assess the refugee situation across neighboring countries. £46 is enough to provide a family with an emergency hygiene and water.
Red Cross – The Red Cross is currently working to provide food, water, first aid, medicines, warm clothes, & shelter to those who need it.
Nova Ukraine – An American non-profit, currently taking donations in order to put together supplies that include diapers, baby food, hospital equipment, and more.
Support Hospitals in Ukraine – Organization committed to raise $500,000 to send twenty 40-foot containers to Ukrainian hospitals in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv and other areas in need.
Global Giving – Provides shelter, food, and clean water for refugees, health and psychosocial support, plus access to education and economic assistance.
Other Resources
Help Ukraine Super-Site – a detailed website explaining methods of providing aid and helping Ukraine from afar including social media coverage, ways to contact politicians for immediate action, and information about hosting refugees.
Resources for BIPOC and Slavic Ukrainian Refugees – Includes information and resources for BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ refugees
AirBnb – The platform is teaming up with hosts to place 100,000 refugees in temporary homes. You can donate to fund stays or sign up to become a host.
WhatsApp group for African Students Stranded in Ukraine
We encourage you to read and help as much as possible but stay alert of the myriad scams and fake websites — social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok provide great on-the-ground insight into the Russia/Ukraine war but are also breeding grounds for spurious information. Research the news you see before resharing or donating money.
