How to support children and families in Ukraine

In the span of less than a week, normal life In Ukraine has been shattered. Ukrainian children went from attending class in school to attending class in a bomb shelter. Ukrainian women went from delivering their babies in maternity wards, to delivering them in subway corridors. Many Ukrainians - estimated to be over one million, mostly women and children - have already left the country. The Ukrainian war has unleashed the fastest mass migration seen in Europe in at least three decades. In less than a week, the number of Ukrainians who have fled is at least ten times as many as the one-week record of people who entered Europe during the 2015 migration crisis, and nearly double the number of refugees recorded by the United Nations during the first 11 days of the Kosovo war in 1999. The degrading situation for Ukrainian does not only impose a terrible burden on Ukraine’s families, children, and people but also on the collective global response to support those fleeing from the conflict.?

As in any conflict, war poses unique threats to children and also demands particular measures be taken to ensure the rights and needs of children are prioritized. The forced migration of Ukrainians will place a particular burden on youth, imposing risks of cold, hunger, and potential trauma and separation from parents and caregivers. Children will become increasingly exposed to potential exploitation and vulnerability, as well as disruptions in their education, food supplies, and access to healthcare. The conflict also threatens to traumatize children, posing longer-term impacts to their psychological and mental health.?

Many of you in our community have reached out, wanting to know of ways to help alleviate this burden and provide assistance to the increasing number of Ukrainian families and children in need. While Epic does not have any organizations under our umbrella that operate directly on the ground, we have prepared a list of organizations that we know to be of high quality based on our Programs’ team’s knowledge. It is worth noting, however, that these organizations have not been vetted through Epic’s selection process.

These organizations consist of internationally recognized emergency response and humanitarian aid organizations, as well as national and local organizations recommended by our peers in the sector for long-standing work with Ukrainian communities.

If you would like to donate to alleviate the plight of Ukrainians, please feel free to use the list of the following organizations available here.

We will continue to update this list as we receive additional information.

The Epic Foundation stands in solidarity with these organizations working to ensure stability, protection, and relief for the men, women, families, and children of Ukraine. If you can, please consider donating.

-The Epic Team