Germans are very willing to donate. But not all donated items are really useful. This is how we can really help.
Kassel – Due to the current situation between Russia and Ukraine, many people have had to leave their homes. They sleep in emergency shelters, stay with relatives or look for new places to stay. Some are injured too. Many citizens in Germany would like to help the people from Ukraine. The willingness to donate is high. Silvia Holten, spokeswoman for World Vision, also commented on this to the FAZ: “The willingness to help in relation to the Ukraine crisis is extremely high. That is very commendable.
But a lot is not always good. Donations in kind are now even being rejected by large companies, reports Die Welt. The problem is that these have to be sorted first. A job that would take too much time and labor. What’s more, people in Ukraine don’t lack for clothes. “We Ukrainians are not naked. We are under fire,” Yelyzaveta Plitkova, a student and activist from Berlin, told Die Zeit. In your opinion, the people in the Ukraine conflict* need completely different aids – the donations for Ukraine must be meaningful.
Donations to Ukraine must be accurate and helpful
Plitkova is helping out in an office near the Brandenburg Gate, according to the Die Zeit report. There they collect donations that are taken to Ukraine. Almost everyone who works there has family in Ukraine. There are no jackets on their lists of items needed in the Ukraine conflict. Items like bulletproof vests, night vision goggles, drones, walkie-talkies, and tactical knee and elbow pads are part of the need.
Medical equipment is also needed. This primarily involves treating trauma and gunshot wounds. Commercially available first aid kits, such as those found in cars, are not helpful here, reports Die Welt.
Ukraine: Clothing for refugees as a donation does not make sense
Instead, special bandages, clamping bandages, and prescription antibiotics and painkillers are needed. These cannot be donated directly by citizens. At the moment, monetary donations to reputable organizations or to the Ukrainian government directly are considered the most sensible.
Nevertheless, possible donations in kind:
- field equipment
- Large camouflage backpacks
- Flashlights with red light
- Light sleeping bags
- sleeping mats
- gasoline generators
- power banks
- Civilian mini drones
- hunting and military jackets
Help is not only needed locally. Many people fled the Ukraine war and more and more are following. Arrived in Germany, you need accommodation. The emergency shelters in the cities and districts will not be sufficient. You can also help as a private person here. As the world reports, tickets for public transport are also needed. (fh) *hna.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
