Almost £6.5m raised in Wales in four days to support Ukraine humanitarian efforts

Almost £6.5m has been raised in Wales in four days to support humanitarian assistance efforts for people affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The money includes a £4m donation from the Welsh Government.

Money raised will go towards the Disaster Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, which launched last Thursday (March 3).

More than 1.5 million people have been forced to flee Ukraine after Russia launched a military invasion, and many more have fled their homes inside the country.  

That number is expected to rise significantly as the conflict continues.

'More and more people having to flee their homes'

DEC Cymru chair Melanie Simmonds said the support was gratefully received.

She said: "This amazing show of support for people fleeing the conflict has meant that we have been able to start spending money straight away to help more people.

"Save the Children is working in neighbouring countries to help provide children and families with immediate aid: food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, cash assistance.   

"As the conflict continues, we are seeing more and more people having to flee their homes to keep themselves safe.

"The speed of the exodus from Ukraine has meant that experience in the region and the ability of DEC charities to scale up operations has been invaluable.

"We're expecting the numbers crossing the border to keep increasing in the coming days. I want to thank everyone who has donated to help us support them in their moment of greatest need."

Donations from right across the UK to the appeal have now reached £100 million – the equivalent of more than £1 million an hour since Thursday's launch.

The United Nations (UN) estimates that up to 4 million people may be forced leave the country and 7 million may lose their homes inside Ukraine.