Reputable organizations providing support on the ground in Ukraine

TAMPA, Fla. - We may not be able to book a flight to Ukraine, but many in the US want to know how to support those on ground fighting for their country.

UNICEF may be a good place to start. The organization has set its focus is on the 7.5 million children they say are at risk right now in Ukraine.

"The situation for the children caught in the conflict in Ukraine grows worse by the minute," said Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director. "We are receiving reports of hospitals, schools, water and sanitation facilities and orphanages under fire. Explosive weapons in populated areas and explosive remnants of war are real and present dangers for the children in Ukraine."

UNICEF has spent the last several days trucking in safe water, delivering emergency supplies and providing social services.

The Ukrainian Red Cross, supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross, is leading the humanitarian response efforts.

"Our teams are at work right now, aiding those in need," said Peter Mauer, the ICTRC’s president.

Over the last week, their teams have been repairing buildings destroyed by the Russian invasion, providing medical equipment and supporting families with food and hygiene items.

Then there are organizations like the International Rescue Committee, founded by Albert Einstein in 1933. The global aid group says donations will help resettle Ukrainians in a new home.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says the Russian invasion could displace up to five million Ukrainians. 

If you’d like to make a donation to the International Committee of the Red Cross, visit https://www.icrc.org/en/document/icrc-calls-sides-spare-critical-civilian-infrastructure-eastern-ukraine or ICRC.org.

The Red Cross says an average of 90 cents of every dollar directed toward disaster relief is spent on delivering care and comfort to those affected. The remainder helps keep the American Red Cross running by supporting routine, but indispensable, day-to-day business operations.  

For more information about donating to UNICEF, visit https://www.unicefusa.org/?form=donate.

For more information on the International Rescue Committee, visit https://www.rescue.org/

Continued coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine: 

• 'Until we win or until we die': As family prepares to fight in Ukraine, USF student says country is united
• Molotov cocktails on the menu: Ukrainian brewery switches from beer to bombs amid Russian invasion
• Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's powerful speech moves translator to tears
• Boycotting vodka: Here's what you should know as businesses dump the alcohol amid the Russian invasion
• Sarasota family 'living it all over again' after fleeing Ukraine as children
• Snake Island defenders who defied Russian warship captured alive, not killed: Ukraine Navy
• Ukrainian chef turns restaurant into bomb shelter to feed civilians fighting Russian forces