By Ella Tackett

On February 24th, Russia invaded Ukraine in the biggest act of war in Europe since World War II. The developing crisis is very serious and has implications all over the world. Aside from the obvious humanitarian emergency unfolding, there are also signs of disruption around the globe. We’ve noticed exponentially increasing gas prices, and supply-chain issues are leading to longer shipping times for packages. While these are mild disruptions to our day-to-day lives, people in Ukraine are fighting for their lives. Many students may want to help out in any way they can, and luckily there are many ways to do this.

Donating money is an obvious way to help humanitarian efforts.. However, the plethora of charities and organizations claiming that their funds are going directly to Ukraine can be misleading. There are often scammers attempting to prey on sympathetic people trying to help. Respected organizations to donate to include: United Nations Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, UNICEF, GlobalGiving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, and Mercy Corps. All of these are proven, reputable organizations that will ensure your donations will go to where they are needed most.

Another act of service that anyone can do is to donate supplies. Meest is a Ukrainian logistics company with warehouses across the US, and they are accepting aid packages for Ukraine. This is a list of supplies that are needed in Ukraine, and this is information on how to drop off or ship to Meest locations.

Information coming out of Ukraine is scarce and can often be tainted by Russia or other entities attempting to cover up the nature of the situation there. A vital news source in the nation’s capital is the online newspaper The Kyiv Independent, which desperately needs funding to stay afloat and continue reporting from inside the war zone. You can donate to them here.

In many countries, Russia included, protesting against a war or political entity is strictly illegal and is a punishable offense. But in the US, freedom of speech is protected under the Constitution and public protests can be a very moving and effective way to get a point across. This is an international live database of upcoming protests happening across the world and includes ways you can get involved with them.

Helping the war effort in Ukraine is an incredibly honorable and selfless thing to do. Just spreading awareness about the issue can be incredibly valuable. The people being ambushed are humans just like us, and empathy for them is vital to keep the world spotlight focused on supporting them.