How Sonoma County can help Ukrainians caught in crisis

As Ukraine is hit by an onslaught of Russian troops, the world watches in shock as a humanitarian crisis takes hold.

Many Ukrainians are being forced to flee, both within the country and into neighboring states, according to the International Relief Committee. Over 100,000 people are displaced internally within Ukraine, according to reports, and thousands are fleeing across borders into Poland, Romania, Moldova and other European states.

Here in Sonoma County, voter registration information reveals more than 100 people who listed Ukrainian heritage, and three Sonoma County towns have sister cities in the Eastern European nation. Many residents expressed a sense of helplessness and desire to help Ukrainians.

Though there are no known locally-based fundraisers taking root in Sonoma County, here are some ways to aid Ukrainians through organizations already on the ground.

As with donating to any organization, donors are encouraged to be cautious and verify the charity’s legitimacy to avoid scams.

CARE Ukrainian Crisis Fund

Donations to CARE’s Ukraine Crisis Fund will go toward immediate aid and recovery, food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support and cash assistance to Ukrainians, according to their website.

The fund, which has a goal of $4 million, prioritizes women and girls, families and the elderly. CARE is a nongovernmental organization headquartered in Atlanta that provides emergency aid, funds and advocacy in over 100 countries.

UNICEF

UNICEF’s emergency response to conflict in eastern Ukraine supports emergency interventions such as providing safe drinking water, sanitation and protection for children and families caught in the attack.

“The past eight years of conflict have inflicted profound and lasting damage to children on both sides of the line of contact,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine M. Russell in a statement. “The children of Ukraine need peace, desperately, now.”

The National Bank of Ukraine

The Consulate General of Ukraine in San Fransisco, in a Facebook post, announced that The National Bank of Ukraine opened a fundraising account to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It accepts multiple currencies, but for USD donations, people can donate using the following direct deposit information:

BENEFICIARY: National Bank of Ukraine

BENEFICIARY BIC: NBUA UA UX

BENEFICIARY ADDRESS: 9 Instytutska St, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 400807238

BENEFICIARY BANK NAME: JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, New York

BENEFICIARY BANK BIC: CHASUS33

BENEFICIARY BANK ADDRESS: 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA

PURPOSE OF PAYMENT: for crediting account 47330992708

Sunflowers of Peace

Sunflower of Peace is a fundraiser created to provide first-aid tactical backpacks for Ukranian paramedics and doctors on the front lines.

Donations go toward preparing these tactical backpacks with first aid supplies like bandages, anti-hemorrhagic medicine and medical instruments.

International Relief Committee

The IRC is on the ground in Poland preparing to rush critical aid to displaced families, according to their website.

Donations to the IRC, a global humanitarian aid, relief and development nongovernmental organization, provide food, medical care and emergency supplies to refugee families in Ukraine and other countries.

Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services, a United States-based Catholic nonprofit, is preparing to support families forced to flee their homes and volunteers are on the ground in Ukraine and bordering countries.

A donation to Catholic Relief Services would go toward providing safe shelter, hot meals, hygiene supplies, fuel to keep warm, transport to safer areas, counseling support and more, according to their website.

Médecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders

Médecins Sans Frontieres, known in English as Doctors Without Borders, is an international nongovernmental organization known for its humanitarian medical projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases.

The organization is mobilizing an emergency-preparedness response team, preparing medical kits “for rapid dispatch,” and will be assessing how to access areas in need to safely provide assistance, they said in a statement.

Voices of the Children

Voices of Children is a Ukrainian nonprofit that provides psychological and psychosocial support to the thousands of children traumatized by the conflict’s violence.

Donations go toward the group’s effort to offer individual support, art therapy, mobile psychologists and more.

International Committee of the Red Cross

The International Commitee of the Red Cross, a humanitarian organization based in Switzerland, is supporting the work of the local Ukrainian Red Cross, its water engineers, and doctors to provide access to clean water for those in need.

They are also working to repair vital infrastructure, support health facilities with medicines and equipment and support families with food and hygiene items, according to the organization’s president in a statement.

You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8511 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @alana_minkler.