Opinion Today: How you can help the people of Ukraine

Here are four highly rated aid groups working to meet the immense humanitarian need.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 3, 2022 By Gus Wezerek Graphics Editor, Opinion As Russia's attack on Ukraine has escalated over the past week, so has the amount of humanitarian need. More than half a million people have fled the country and hundreds of thousands of people have gone without water or electricity. Watching the invasion unfold from afar, those of us on Opinion's graphics team discussed ways we could help Ukrainians. Our minds turned to our recent holiday giving guide, in which Opinion writers highlighted charities whose work they thought was worth supporting. There are many ways to lend a hand to Ukrainians right now, so my colleague Zach Levitt and I thought we could offer a less daunting list of options to readers who might be interested in contributing to the cause. We talked to four aid organizations that we think are especially deserving of donations. They described the work they're doing in Ukraine or at the country's border. Each group has received high marks for efficiency and transparency from two nonprofit evaluators, CharityWatch and Charity Navigator. The first one on our list, Direct Relief, has supplied Ukraine with $26 million in medical aid over the past six months. Last weekend, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health sent Direct Relief a list of needed medical supplies, which the group is working to acquire and deliver. Save the Children has been engaged in Ukraine since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. A spokesperson for the group said that they are currently distributing food and water to displaced Ukrainians and providing protective services for unaccompanied minors who are fleeing the country. Along with those two organizations, we spoke with members of Mercy Corps and International Medical Corps, which are also providing humanitarian aid to the region. If you've been wondering about how to help people in Ukraine, we hope you find our list useful. 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