The Ukrainian people are facing a growing humanitarian crisis and urgently need our help. Homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed and communities torn apart. As the devastation continues, families have been forced to abandon their homes in life-threatening conditions, leaving behind everything they own.
Our Board of Trustees has agreed five immediate grants of £50,000 each to:
- Depaul International works primarily in Kharkiv, Odessa, Kyiv and Zalucha but is offering emergency shelter, medical care and food to refugees fleeing their homes or those under siege in the cities.
- World Vision which is supporting refugees and displaced people in Ukraine and Romania; providing food, water, hygiene kits and safe spaces for children to play, receive psychological First Aid, continue to learn and re-gain some normalcy in their lives.
- Tearfund which is following its call to ‘go where the need is greatest around the world’ – supporting partners to provide food, bedding and temporary accommodation to refugees.
- All We Can which is partnering with the Global Relationships Team of the Methodist Church in Britain, ensuring critical humanitarian assistance is there for those who need it.
- British Red Cross - Red Cross teams are providing extensive assistance, from providing food to First Aid training, taking people to hospital, transporting medical supplies and helping at blood donation points.
These five charities provide lifesaving aid to people fleeing conflict and are all experts in humanitarian aid. Each specialises in different areas of disaster response. British Red Cross, World Vision and Tearfund are among the 15 members of The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
The UN now estimates nearly 2.8 million people have already fled Ukraine, but DEC estimates 18 million will eventually be affected by the escalating conflict. Four million people are expected to be displaced as the fighting continues. The additional £750,000 that Benefact Trust has earmarked will continue to support the most vulnerable in the Ukraine by working closely with our charity partners on the ground and also supporting refugees arriving in the UK.
This is a crisis that has shocked us all and it is understandable that so many people want to do something to help. If you would like to help one of these incredible charities respond to this growing humanitarian crisis, please visit their individual websites or go to dec.org.uk
Lesley King-Lewis, Trust Director for Benefact Trust, said: “There is a growing humanitarian crisis happening in the Ukraine, with many innocent people experiencing unimaginable loss and suffering. We felt a sense of duty to step up and empower the organisations already on the ground - doing everything possible to help the most vulnerable during this devastating conflict.”
Mark McGreevy, Depaul Group CEO, said: “Depaul International would like to thank Benefact Trust for this incredibly generous gift towards our humanitarian work in Ukraine. Your generosity will help us to continue our work inside Ukraine to support the most marginalised and expand it to providing humanitarian aid – food, medicine and other goods – to support thousands of refugees fleeing their homes as well as those under siege in the cities.”
Benefact Trust is the proud owner of Benefact Group, which is an independent, specialist financial services group that exists to give all its available profits to charity.
*Header Image: Benefact Trust selected stock photo.
