In just 48 hours, a London-based online crowdfunding platform has raised over £2 million ($2.6 million) for the victims of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
CharityExtra has hosted two separate campaigns for the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine and Tikva, a nonprofit that supports homeless children in Ukraine. Donations will be used to deliver packages of emergency food supplies and essential items, notably for children who are victims of the Russian invasion.
Since the campaigns launched on Sunday morning, four days after the crisis began, they quickly surpassed original goals, including delivery of 30,000 packages – with the vast majority of donations originating from the United Kingdom.
“The world has been gripped by the tragic events taking place in Ukraine," CharityExtra Founder Yitzi Bude said. "The harrowing footage and images coming out of the country show just how much the Ukrainian people need our help.
"It was a no-brainer for us to help in the best way we could and we have been overwhelmed by the incredible reaction from the public," he said. "We are all humans and it is deplorable that such events can still take place in the 21st century. We must do all we can to help.”
The campaign is slated to run through the second week of March. Donations, which will be matched by philanthropists, can be made on the the following links: Tivka Emergency Appeal and Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine.