Dr Olena Nizalova, an economicst of Ukrainian origin, has prepared a list of useful and trustworthy resources that the University of Kent community can use to support the crisis and keep informed. We hear from her here.
‘The scale of military combat in Ukraine has increased and all regions of the country are either already experiencing or are at the brink of humanitarian crisis. For the most recent updates I suggest you follow here.
Russian troops continue targeting civilian objects in many cities. At least 2,000 civilians lost their lives including children according to the Emergency Response Service of Ukraine (@MNS.GOV.UA). Here is the report from the second largest city – Kharkiv from the first week in March.
Currently, evacuation of people from many cities makes it impossible or very dangerous. At the same time, staying in the cities under attacks may not be viable for long.
Women and children are moving to the western border of the country in search for safety. A story of our own family member shows that these people had to stay for more than 20 hours waiting to cross the border with Poland under the cold weather with no logistical support provided. Things are well organized, however, on the other side of the border and some improvements were made on the Ukrainian side today. There are also difficulties transporting people to the border as the transportation is disrupted.
The above humanitarian situation identifies the current priorities for support:
- There is NO urgent need for perishable food and clothes (it may change later);
- The most practical help includes donation to the trusted sources: such help can be adjusted quickly to the current needs and necessary supplies can be bought quickly and less expensively in Eastern Europe. A list of such trusted organizations can be found here (but there are many more).
- My family has established two separate JustGiving pages for donations from people who know us and trust us. If you would like to, please contribute.
- WeAreUkraine: Currently, the money from this source are being spent to support infrastructure on the border crossing points and later will target small cities destroyed by Russians. If you feel comfortable, please contribute.
- SupportRefugees: Money are being spent on transportation of people to the border and safe places.
UK people have shown an overwhelming support to Ukrainian people during this extremely difficult time.
Thank you for all what you do from the bottom of our hearts.’
Dr Olena Nizalova is a Senior Lecturer in Economics and Senior Research Fellow in Health Economics