New Ways to Help Ukraine
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has prompted many Canadians to ask, “how can I help?”. This war is different from previous international disasters and so is the response to it by ordinary caring citizens. New ways to help are shattering traditional charity norms.
This isn’t a “how to” article and it doesn’t recommend one organization over another. Instead, I want to reflect on how Canadians and other people of the world have stepped up. Two months into the conflict there has been a lot of giving and doing. These actions are changing the humanitarian landscape.
The war in Ukraine is different than past humanitarian crises for three major reasons. First, it’s in Europe, and in a country with strong ties with Canada through immigration. Second, Eastern Europe is modern, middle income, and accessible. It’s the perfect setting for private aid. Third, established charities and NGOs are being pushed to go deeper.
Identification
A war in Europe stirs up traumatic 20th century memories. The world wars were supposed to end war, and Europe was reshaped to ensure this happened. Putin’s attack is so egregious that it has created a “just” war, complete with an action movie villain who wants to make his country great again. It’s a narrative that is pre-loaded.
There is especially strong identification with Ukraine in Canada. Approximately 1.4 million Canadians have Ukrainian heritage. The ties run deep, and it is easy to see previous conflicts and injustices in the current moment. In my neighbourhood in west Toronto, for example, the experience of 3.5 to 5 million Ukrainians dying of forced Stalinist starvation (the Holodomor) is an active source of trauma.
One of my humanitarian friends told me that Ukraine is such a bright light that it is casting other current humanitarian disasters — Yemen, Tigray, Myanmar, etc — into the shadows. That it’s a “white” war, and that resonates in the west. There is truth in this observation. The depth of this connection is inspiring broad-based action.
Modern Ukraine; Modern Europe
One of the first signs that this war was different was Google maps. It picked up a traffic jam on day-one, when a massive column of Russian armour produced a long red line on the road Kyiv. Ukraine is wired and connected. That means it is accessible and easier to provide aid in new ways. Online shopping ways.
There are four million refugees who have left Ukraine, and, for the most part, they are being welcomed in the neighbouring states of Europe. Poland has been especially helpful in finding food and shelter, via government and voluntary efforts. Citizens are sharing their homes and businesses. Unlike other crises, there are few refugee camps or centres. The vacation rental platform Airbnb is enabling hosts and donors to support housing for refugees. Compassionate Canadians have placed Walmart food and clothing orders for refugees and sent money to local businesses in Poland providing shelter. Gift and pre-paid credit cards are as useful there as they are here. The crypto community has also jumped on board.
The number of volunteer groups in Canada is also impressive. They are collecting funds, clothes, and heavy equipment — and even stuffed animals and weapons. While money is the most-needed commodity — supplies can be bought in Europe — the existence of a well-developed international air freight system means there is a lot of stuff being sent to eastern Europe that may just end up in landfill.
There are also reports of an influx of “disaster tourists”, most acting independently. These include volunteer organizing small-scale aid deliveries, medical clinics, and kitchens. There are would-be medics, packing bags of expired drugs and freelance soldiers looking for action.
Most of the help is being delivered in neighbouring countries and the western part of Ukraine that is less affected by the war. Some of the citizen aid will be effective. Other by-products — corruption, theft, human trafficking, virtuous competition — will do more harm than good.
Charities and NGOs
The established humanitarian actors like Red Cross, Humanitarian Coalition (i.e. Oxfam, CARE and others), MSF/Doctors without Borders and UN agencies have received hundred of millions of dollars in donations, but they are experiencing mandate and trust issues. Some were quick to start dedicated fundraising campaigns for the crisis, long before they had a clear response strategy. The ICRC, which is the humanitarian arm of the Red Cross, got caught in partisan crossfire for meeting with both the Russian and Ukrainian governments, which is consistent with their principle of neutrality.
As the conflict is accessible and the needs many, there have also been a lot of registered charities with no humanitarian experience jumping into the fray. The Canada-Ukraine Foundation is the largest organization with roots in the Ukrainian Canadian community, but not the only one. Smaller charities such as the CMAT/Canadian Medical Assistance Teams, a medical mission organization, have also sent teams.
Large, experienced NGOs are typically better at reaching vulnerable populations. They have operational plans, experienced staff, security protocols, and expertise. Many of the citizen groups and small charities do not. Some, but not all the larger NGOs, are operating in the war zone. ICRC has attempted a mass evacuation of the Mariupol, an eastern city under extended siege. Informal citizen groups don’t have the capacity or resources to operate in the battlefield. This is important differentiation point, and sobering reminder of the ugly nature of war.