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Here’s What You Can Do to Help People in Ukraine Right Now

3 minute read

As destruction worsens and casualties mount during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, people all over the world are looking for ways to help.

One simple step, experts say, is to remain informed about the conflict and to be cautious about the information that’s spread on social media. Disinformation is one of Russia’s favorite weapons of war, and accidentally amplifying it can harm civilians.

Another easy step is to donate money. Most large international aid organizations, including UNICEF, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee, are currently working in Ukraine and neighboring countries, where a growing number of displaced people are fleeing.

A number of American grassroots and regional organizations, most of which were providing aid to displaced people in the country before the latest conflict began, are also worthy of support. Here are six who accept online donations.

Voices of Children

Voices of Children is a Ukraine-based aid organization that provides psychological support to children who have witnessed war. It uses art therapy and storytelling to support children’s wellbeing, and provides financial support to families who have suffered as a result of war.

Read more: We Are Really Desperate.’ Foreign Students, Soccer Players and Tourists Are Trying to Flee Kyiv as Russia Continues Attack

Vostok SOS

Vostok SOS, which is also based in Ukraine, partners with German-Swiss NGO Libereco to provide immediate evacuation support to Ukrainians attempting to flee their homes. Vostok maintains a hotline for Ukrainians in need and, going forward, hopes to provide trauma support to victims of the Russian invasion.

Malteser International

Malteser International, a nonprofit based in Malta, has been collecting “everyday” supplies for Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes. “What is especially needed are everyday medicines, as well as cots, blankets, food, and cash to provide for the many people affected,” Oliver Hochedez, head of Malteser International’s emergency relief department, said in a public statement.

United Help Ukraine

United Help Ukraine is an American nonprofit that formed after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. It’s currently raising money to send first aid kits and other humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The fund has surpassed its goal of $600,000, but is still accepting donations.

Read more: ‘Ukraine Deserves Its Own Future.’ The Pain of Watching From Afar as Putin Attacks My Country

Nova Ukraine

Nova Ukraine, also an American nonprofit, works closely with Ukraine-based organizations and is currently assembling supply packages that include diapers for children and adults, baby food, hospital supplies, and dry foods for a children’s orphanage in Donetsk.

Sunflower of Peace

Another American nonprofit, Sunflower of Peace, is raising money to put together first aid backpacks for paramedics and doctors on the front lines. In 2014, the organization also raised money to build the first aid backpacks for medical professionals providing aid to those fleeing the annexation of Crimea. “It meant the world to [medical professionals] then and it will mean the world to them now,” wrote Katya Malakhova, the fundraiser’s coordinator, in a Facebook post. The fund has also surpassed its goal—$200,000—but is continuing to fundraise.

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Write to Jasmine Aguilera at jasmine.aguilera@time.com