The “Stand Up for Ukraine” global pledging event and campaign has raised €9.1 billion for people fleeing the Russian invasion, inside Ukraine and abroad, including €1 billion from the European Commission. On top of that, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has announced an additional €1 billion in loan to cover the needs of the people displaced by the invasion.
The Stand Up For Ukraine online pledging event concluded a broader social media campaign launched by the European Commission and the Government in Canada on 26 March, in partnership with Global Citizen.
The campaign answered to a call for support launched by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The aim of the campaign was to raise funding and other types of support to cater for the needs of internally displaced people in Ukraine. In particular:
- For the more than 4 million people who have already sought shelter in the EU and for others who are likely to come: the funding will be used to cater for their short and medium-term needs in EU Member States, from food, housing and medical care to education and employment.
- For the 6.5 million people, including 2.5 million children, who had to flee their homes but stayed in Ukraine and are now internally displaced: funding and donations will provide them with vital humanitarian care.
In recognition of Poland's essential role in supporting refugees fleeing the invasion of Ukraine, the pledging event took place in Warsaw, with the participation of President Andrzej Duda.