As the security situation allows, Ukraine Red Cross, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and other Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners are responding to existing and emerging humanitarian needs.

Within Ukraine, teams are providing first aid and psychosocial support, transporting people to hospital, helping to reunite families through the Red Cross hotline, and delivering humanitarian aid to shelters, medical facilities, and temporary accommodations for those who are displaced. They’re present at border crossings, supporting families with food, water and hygiene kits, and organising bedding and clothing in places of temporary accommodation.

Red Cross teams across Europe have also been supporting millions of people who have fled Ukraine. They have supported people across 17 countries providing shelter, healthcare, cash and voucher assistance. In 2024 they reached over 300,000 people with assistance.  

Read more in our two year report about the incredible impact donors have made https://www.redcross.org.au/ukrainereport/.

Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) has 2000 staff and 800 volunteers across 200 branches working across the country. Across the country, volunteers are providing first aid and psychosocial support, transporting people to hospital, providing cash and voucher assistance, helping to reunite families through the Red Cross hotline, and delivering humanitarian aid to shelters, medical facilities, and temporary accommodation for those who are displaced.

The ICRC operations in Ukraine are among the ten largest ICRC operations worldwide (out of 100 places they work). They have over 900 staff members across Ukraine on either side of the line of contact. The ICRC have been in Ukraine since 2014. The ICRC operation has significantly scaled up since February 2022 with the delivery of relief items to displaced people, provision of medicine and supplies to health facilities, restoration of water supplies and other lifesaving activities.

IFRC through its Country Delegation in Ukraine and supported by its Regional Office for Europe, has been providing technical support to URCS and mobilising international aid to programs and operations led by the National Society.

• Humanitarian activities to enable Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to address immediate and longer terms needs in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, including to people who are displaced. This includes emergency relief assistance such as shelter, health, water and sanitation.
  
  
• Specialist aid workers to assist local teams to respond to the crisis
  
  
• Helping people restore contact with family members separated by the crisis by offering services to maintain family links and locate missing family members
  
  
• Monitoring and evaluation of the support

Our Restoring Family Links team can help people who have lost contact with relatives in Ukraine or Russia due to the current situation. We assess cases, and work through the global Family Links Network to assist people to re-establish contact with family members. Please be aware that because of the evolving situation this may take some time.

Our Restoring Family Links hotline is available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (AEST) on 1800 875 199 or via email at tracing@redcross.org.au.

Australian Red Cross will not deduct more than 10 per cent of money raised to cover indirect essential costs such as receipting donations, IT costs, costs to send the money overseas and overheads. Any interest earned on donations will be invested back into the appeal.

We welcome volunteer support, but we can’t send volunteers overseas to help in an emergency or humanitarian crisis. When we need to send people overseas, we have a roster of skilled aid workers with extensive experience in their field, together with previous international experience, and training in how our emergency operations work.  To volunteer with Red Cross in Australia, visit redcross.org.au/volunteer to search volunteer opportunities.     

We really appreciate the generosity, but we are not accepting in-kind donations for food, clothes, medical equipment or other items, as we’re unable to distribute those overseas. There are several good reasons for this. Every item has to be checked, cleaned, sorted, packed, transported, stored and distributed, which hugely increases the cost of the relief effort and diverts from work that may be needed on the ground.

Also, the items donated aren’t always what people need. But cash helps people make dignified choices that are right for them. Even worse, unwanted boxes of donated goods can clog ports and post offices and actually prevent the delivery of essential items like medicines and relief supplies. 

Read more about what might happen when goods are donated after an emergency: Donating clothes or goods after an emergency.

If you have good-quality clothes or household items, our Red Cross Shops would gratefully accept them, to on-sell in Australia and raise funds for our vital work. Find out how you can donate.