The “Stand Up for Ukraine” global pledging event and campaign has raised €9.1 billion for people fleeing the Russian invasion, inside Ukraine and abroad, including €1 billion from the European Commission. On top of that, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has announced an additional €1 billion in loan to cover the needs of the people displaced by the invasion.

Out of these €10.1 billion in pledges and EBRD funding, €1.8 billion are for internally displaced persons and €8.3 billion for refugees in frontline EU Member States and countries, like Moldova.

The €9.1 billion pledge is broken down as follows:

• €4.1 billion are financial contributions and in-kind donations for internally displaced people and refugees pledged by governments, companies and individuals around the world.
• €5 billion are loans and grants from European public financial institutions (the European Investment Bank, and the Council of Europe Development Bank).

Pledges from governments for internally displaced people in Ukraine will be now channelled largely through the Ukrainian authorities, central and local level. Donations from the private sector and individuals for internally displaced people will be channelled mainly through UN agencies.

The Stand Up For Ukraine online pledging event concludes a broader social media campaign launched by the European Commission and the Government in Canada on Saturday 26 March, in partnership with Global Citizen.

The campaign answers a call for support launched by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The aim of the campaign is to raise funding and other types of support to cater for the needs of the people fleeing the invasion inside and outside Ukraine. In particular:

• For the more than 4 million people who have already sought shelter in the EU and for others who are likely to come: the funding will be used to cater for their short and medium-term needs in EU Member States, from food, housing and medical care to education and employment.
• For the 6.5 million people, including 2.5 million children, who had to flee their homes but stayed in Ukraine and are now internally displaced: funding and donations will provide them with vital humanitarian care.

In recognition of Poland's essential role in supporting refugees fleeing the invasion of Ukraine, the Stand Up For Ukraine pledging event took place in Warsaw, with the participation of President Duda.

Image © European Commission