The war in Ukraine is tearing families apart. In just six weeks, more than 10 million people have been forced to flee for their lives, leaving their homes and loved ones behind. The numbers are rising daily.
Among the millions of people who have fled Ukraine is 28-year-old Firuza, who is 35 weeks pregnant. She was forced to leave her husband behind in Kharkiv and take to the road with her mother and sister.
“We have been travelling at least three days, it took a long time,” she said. “We want to save our lives. We don’t have any home right now. It was bombed.”
This is the second time Firuza’s family has had to escape as refugees. Her grandparents fled conflict in Tajikistan and resettled in Ukraine 30 years ago.
“Our family has had to flee again,” Firuza said. “We will stay strong – we don’t have any other option.”
UNHCR is leading the humanitarian response in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. Our teams are on the ground offering direct assistance to refugees and supporting host governments.
We urgently need your help to scale up our response to meet the extraordinary demand and reach those most in need – the families hiding in freezing bunkers, the women going without food so their children can eat, the babies born in the midst of war.
With your support, UNHCR can:
Establish and operate reception centres to provide safety for those forced to flee
Distribute core relief items, such as warm blankets, food, infant formula, blankets, construction materials, solar lamps and hygiene kits
Provide cash assistance to help people buy the basics
Protect the most vulnerable, such as unaccompanied children and women at risk of gender-based violence
Firuza and the people of Ukraine desperately need all of our support. Please give generously to provide safety and protection for vulnerable families, for however long it’s needed.
Yours sincerely,
Naomi Steer National Director
P.S. We urgently need more funds for this important work. One of our key supporters, Angela Whitbread, has agreed to match every dollar donated up to $250,000. Time is short, so please donate now – your gift will go twice as far to help refugees in need.
