Ukraine war: UK charities launch DEC humanitarian appeal
Image source, Michael Kappeler/dpaAn appeal is being launched by the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee to help the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing their country.
Fifteen UK aid agencies - including the British Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children - are joining together to ask the public to donate.
Homes in Ukraine have been destroyed and water supplies, hospitals and schools have been hit, the DEC says.
The charities say people urgently need food, water, shelter and medical care.
Public donations to the appeal will be doubled by the UK government, up to a total of £20m.
More than 800,000 people have left Ukraine since the war began, according to estimates from the UN, with most heading to Poland and other neighbouring countries. The European Union has warned up to four million Ukrainians may eventually be forced to flee.
Despite EU nations waiving requirements for travel documentation, many people have faced waits of several days at the border in freezing temperatures, in queues up to 10 miles (15km) long.
'Lost and scared'
The DEC said the majority crossing the borders are women and children, arriving with only what they can carry.
Andrew Morley, president and CEO of the charity World Vision, said after visiting relief operations at Ukraine's border with Romania and Moldova he had "never seen a more heart-breaking situation".
"All of the children I met were crossing the border in tears, with pain and fear in their eyes. They were lost and scared. They need the basics - simple, practical help," he said.
DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed added: "I could never have envisaged launching a humanitarian appeal in Europe in 2022. But tragically, that's exactly where we find ourselves."
He said charities were working to reach people in Ukraine quickly, "as the brutal conflict turns lives upside down".
"Families, including many children, have been forced to leave everything they know behind to find safety and desperately need food, water and shelter," he said.
The appeal will be broadcast on all BBC TV and radio stations, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky on Thursday.
DEC members and local aid agencies working with them say they are operating in Ukraine and in the neighbouring countries of Poland, Romania, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia.
They are using donations to provide trauma care along with medical treatment, food, water and shelter.
Image source, DECWhat is the DEC?
- The committee brings together 15 leading UK aid charities to provide and deliver aid to ensure successful appeals
- The charities include Oxfam, Save the Children UK, Age International, British Red Cross, Cafod, Christian Aid and Islamic Relief
- Its website provides more details of its current appeals
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