It’s been nearly a month since the Russian army invaded Ukraine, and millions of civilians’ lives have been impacted as a result. The International Rescue Committee states that over 3 million refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine, and hundreds of thousands more are in “urgent need of evacuation,” according to a Reuters’ report.
Though the international community is trying their best to provide humanitarian aid, they are being impeded by Russian forces. On March 15, a convoy trying to deliver crucial aid to Mariupol was blocked by Russia, and even now shelling continues to bombard the port city and its citizens.
Russia denies the accusations that their forces are preventing safe passage and are pinning the blame on Ukraine instead. Although Russia has offered “to allow two safe corridors out of the besieged city of Mariupol in exchange for Ukrainian fighters laying down their arms” (USA Today), the Ukrainian government has rejected the deal. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk called on the aggressors to “instead of wasting time on eight pages of letters, just open the corridor.”
As long as the war continues to drag out, more people are in need of urgent help and rescue. If you would like to contribute to the safety of Ukrainian citizens, Keep It Real recommends donating to organizations like the International Rescue Committee, UNICEF, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and Doctors Without Borders. No amount is too small!