With the ongoing situation in Ukraine, individuals and organisations in Ireland have been arranging collections of goods and supplies, from nappies and baby food to female sanitary products, toothbrushes and dried food goods, to be delivered to those in need. In the past days, charities Irish Red Cross and Unicef Ireland have urged the public to make cash donations instead. A statement from Irish Red Cross reads, “The Irish Red Cross would like to thank the Irish people for their generosity but with airports closed and transportation systems under pressure, sending physical goods is likely to add more stress to the situation on the ground. In circumstances of disaster, the Red Cross always advises against sending goods to affected areas as it is very difficult to get these goods into a country in crisis and to distribute them to right people. Experience from other crises shows that many of these items will end of up in landfill and will not help the people you wish to support.”

The statement continues “Providing cash contributions to organisations like the Red Cross or other organisations responding to the crisis in Ukraine allows the Red Cross to source solicited standardised emergency relief goods locally. This system means everyone in the affected communities gets the same, high-quality items. Unsolicited or unwanted aid, especially containers, can clog up logistic chains and can have a detrimental effect on the effectiveness and efficiency of relief operations.”

To make it even easier to donate to the Irish Red Cross, shoppers in SuperValu and Centra are now able to donate €2 in-store nationwide via a simple ‘Tap to Donate’ mechanism at the till. All of the funds donated from SuperValu and Centra will go directly to help fund the immediate humanitarian response through the Irish Red Cross.

Here are some more ways that you can donate.

UNICEF Ireland has launched an urgent emergency fundraising appeal for children in Ukraine, warning that the escalating conflict poses an immediate and growing threat to the country’s 7.5 million children. Launching the emergency appeal UNICEF Ireland Executive Director Peter Power explained, “What we are seeing is utterly terrifying for children. Children are traumatised, they are in shock, and they desperate for safety. Hundreds of thousands are on the move and many families are becoming separated. Our teams are literally seeing humanitarian needs in Ukraine multiplying and spreading by the hour. That is why we are making this urgent appeal for support from the Irish public. UNICEF is rapidly trying to scale up our operations in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, but we need more resources”.

As conflict has escalated in recent days, Mr Power said UNICEF is warning that children will be among the worst affected. “We are deeply concerned. We know that children are the most vulnerable and that armed conflicts of this scale can only result in child deaths. Already hundreds of children and families have seen their homes destroyed. Many children in Ukraine are already traumatised by years of conflict, but this is on a different scale. We are very fearful for what the future might bring and we must do everything we can to support children now. Our teams are trucking safe water to conflict-affected areas; prepositioning health, hygiene and emergency education supplies as close as possible to communities near the line of contact; and working with municipalities to ensure there is immediate help for children and families in need. Irish people have always been incredibly supportive of UNICEF’s emergency response efforts, and we would be deeply grateful for any support they could provide the children of Ukraine at this time.”

UNICEF is seeking initial funding support to provide access to basic services including water and sanitation, immunisation and health care, schooling and learning, psychosocial support, and emergency cash assistance. More information on UNICEF’s emergency Ukraine appeal can be found at www.unicef.ie.

Provider of stylish accommodation and serene mountain adventures, The Wicklow Escape, will host a Hike for Ukraine on Sunday 10th April at 10.30am. The restorative walkwill be followed by nourishment at the gorgeously located Escape, hidden in The Glen mountains, and offers two options of duration – one for a two-hour full walk up the West Wicklow Sugar Loaf, or a shorter 40-minute walk through the forest. The €25 booking shall include tea, coffee, scones and pastries offered in the outdoor dining area of the Wicklow Escape, while woodfired lunch will also be available at an extra cost. www.thewicklowescape.com/hike-for-ukraine/

People worldwide have found a way to donate directly to Ukrainians – through booking accomodation on Airbnb with no intention of showing up for their stay. By booking a place to stay in Ukraine through Airbnb, funds will go straight to Ukrainian-based hosts.

Airbnb and Airbnb.org also announced that Airbnb.org will offer free, short-term housing to up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine. These stays will be funded by Airbnb, Inc., donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, and the generosity of Hosts through Airbnb.org.

Why not order a mystery masterpiece, with all proceeds going straight to Ukrainian refugees in Poland? Hang Tough Gallery and the SCOOP Foundation have collaborated to host a ‘Mystery Tube Sale’ – for a €50 online payment, customers receive a tube containing a beautiful signed, numbered and embossed print from Hang Tough’s extensive gallery archive. Which one you receive, however, is unexpected – a wonderful way to expand interests in emerging art while supporting an urgent cause.

The SCOOP Foundation are currently in Krakow, Poland, providing medical supplies and vital humanitarian aid to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. SCOOP are also helping to transport and re-home displaced persons. Donations from the Hang Tough Mystery Tube Sale will help SCOOP directly and immediately. hangtough.ie/product/mystery-tube-sale/

Or perhaps pick up a print by Irish street artist Solus? Available to order at solusukraine.com, this limited edition, unique work representing Ukraine’s hardy resilience and strength as well as love, has been created by Solus to raise funds for the Irish Red Cross Ukraine Appeal. The goal is to raise at least €10,000 as fast as possible. The well-known artist’s other works can be seen scattered around Dublin; often featuring ballerinas in boxing gloves.

Irish artist Niall Staines visited Kyiv, Ukraine in September 2021 and described the city as rich in culture, beautiful and immersive, with wonderful people. Staines has produced an open edition print “Ukraine is not Isolated” to raise donations for Razom for Ukraine. Signed and framed, each print is €50 and is also available for collection from  Hang Tough Gallery. Hang Tough and Staines are donating €40 of each sale to the non-profit organisation; www.hangtoughcontemporary.com.

Coffee connoisseurs will know Cloud Picker, the much-loved Irish brand, which is launching a giveaway to raise funds for UNICEF and the people of Ukraine. There are three amazing prizes to be won including: a Victoria Arduino White Eagle Digit (worth €8,000) coffee machine with 5kg of Cloud Picker Coffee’s Henry blend. Tickets for this prize are on sale at €250 per ticket. The second prize is a Sage Barista Pro home espresso machine (worth €800) with 1kg of Cloud Picker Henry blend – only €25 per ticket. And the third prize is a Home Barista course (worth €500). Tailored to the recipient’s needs, this course for two people is presented by Irish Barista Champion Arvind in the Cloud Picker cafe on Pearse street – only €10 per ticket. For more details or to enter visit: www.cloudpickercoffee.ie/products/ukraine-fundraiser-prize.