Ukraine: UK pledges another £80million in aid to help Ukraine deal with humanitarian crisis

• New funding brings total UK support during current Ukraine crisis to £220 million, which includes £120 million of humanitarian aid
• PM announced fresh help during visit to Poland today
• New funding will help provide aid, including medical supplies, to Ukraine and wider region.

The UK is committing another £80 million in aid to Ukraine to save lives, protect vulnerable people inside the country and in the wider region and to tackle the growing humanitarian crisis.

The funding brings the total UK humanitarian aid package for Ukraine to £120 million after £40 million was announced last weekend to help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating situation, creating a lifeline for Ukrainians with access to basic necessities and medical supplies.

It takes the UK’s overall aid support for Ukraine during the current crisis to £220 million, after a £100 million economic package for Ukraine was announced earlier this month.

Violent and barbaric acts from the Russian military against civilians are creating an increasingly catastrophic environment, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee into neighbouring countries.

The Prime Minister said:

With every hour, the passionate desire of the people of Ukraine to defend their country has become more apparent and millions of people around the world have been stirred and moved by their courage.

The reality is that whatever happens in the coming days or weeks, the Ukrainian people have shown already that their spirit will not be broken, and they will not be subdued. We as the international community have a responsibility to do everything we can to help the Ukrainians.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

We have a moral duty to support Ukrainians affected by Putin’s unprovoked aggression. Britain is at the forefront of efforts to supply life-saving humanitarian aid, as well as political, economic and defensive support.

Our message to the Ukrainian people is simple: we will help you and stand with you in the fight for the freedom and sovereignty of Ukraine.

The £220 million referenced by the PM is made up of £120 million of humanitarian aid and the £100 million of Official Development Assistance funding announced earlier this month to bolster the Ukrainian economy and reduce Ukraine’s reliance on Russian gas imports.

This latest round of support comes as the Red Cross Movement launched appeals for global support to deal with the unfolding humanitarian emergency that could see up to 7 million people displaced as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The United Nations has also launched a Ukraine appeal today, with the Foreign Secretary in Geneva meeting with the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, and High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.