More than a third of British adults have donated to help the humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine, according to new polling that reveals the vast majority of the public remain concerned about the conflict a year on.
With charitable drives for those plunged into dire need by the war continuing, a new poll commissioned by Christian Aid revealed that 37% of the adult population had made some kind of donation. Some 81% said they remain concerned about the impact of the conflict.
According to Christian Aid, 17.7 million Ukrainians are in need of aid and more than 13 million people are unable to return to their homes one year on from the invasion. Emergency assistance has reached more than 770,000 people affected by the war. John Sentamu, the former Archbishop of York who is chair of Christian Aid, said the British public had shown an “overwhelming generosity to the Ukrainian people”.
“Vladimir Putin’s invasion has unleashed terrible violence and caused untold suffering to millions of innocent people,” Sentamu said. “We have seen how homes have been destroyed, families torn apart, and innocent people subjected to atrocious violence and trauma.
“I am not surprised that so many people across our isles remain worried about the war. We must remember every prayer, every gift, every action is bringing hope to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.
“Christian Aid is therefore urging actors not to give up searching for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and to ensure the conflict does not cut support for other crises across the globe.”
Aid agencies have been concerned that funding for those caught up in the war, as well as the Turkey-Syria earthquake, hasn’t been matched by the response to the situation in east Africa, where rising hunger is partly a result of a spike in food prices fuelled by the war.
A year into Russia’s invasion, the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal run by UK charities has now raised more than £400m, including £25m matched by the UK government. Several other faith-based charities have also warned that the British government’s support for Ukraine must not come at the expense of other areas of the world in crisis. There have been concerns in the international development community that the UK aid fund has been drained significantly by projects supporting Ukrainian refugees who have come to Britain. There have been demands for Britain to restore the 59% cut in the UK’s aid budget.