“Stand Up for Ukraine” will raise funds to help the estimated 10 million Ukrainians already displaced by the Russian war being waged on their streets, so that those funds don’t have to come from the money already earmarked to help other refugee populations.
In Mariupol alone an estimated 90 percent of homes have been destroyed. After just over a month of violence, over 10 million people have been driven from their homes, and many won’t have homes to return to. An estimated 20,000 homes have been destroyed in Kviv alone. 3.5 million of those people have fled the country, while the rest are seeking shelter in Ukraine where they can, or have joined the forces fighting in resistance.
Canada announced that they will accept any and all Ukrainian refugees, granting them the rights to live and work in Canada for up to three years before having to seek other visa arrangements. The United States announced that they would accept 100,000 refugees. European countries closer to the conflict are nearly all also taking in refugees, most of which are leaving Ukraine via Poland.
Canada and the European Commission are spearheading “Stand Up for Ukraine,” an international fundraising campaign taking place as a social media rally. According to a statement from the Canadian Prime Minister, Ukrainians President Volodymyr Zelensky is inviting performers of all sorts, athletes, politicians, and business leaders to take part, lending their platforms and their voices to the fundraising effort, which is being organized by Global Citizen.
The rally will build awareness through April 8 and end on April 9, with a final pledging drive hosted by Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The goal is open-ended, but Global Citizen is clear that the effort needs ‘billions, not millions.’
Funds raised will be directed to organizations already on the ground in Ukraine, as well as refugee-supporting organizations like Education Cannot Wait, WHO, and UN Women.
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