Last week Suella was delighted to visit One Community in Fareham Shopping Centre. One Community are collecting all sorts of products that will be sent to support those seeking refuge: first aid supplies, non-perishable food, baby milk, clothing and other essential items. The community response from Fareham has been outstanding and Suella has been heartened by the sheer scale of donations from local residents.
More broadly The UK has stepped up its support to the people of Ukraine. There is a critical need for humanitarian assistance as people are forced to flee their homes and seek safety from unprovoked Russian aggression.
As part of this package, Suella is delighted to announce that total UK Government aid to Ukraine and the region for the current crisis has reached £395 million. This includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance and £100 million to bolster the Ukrainian economy and reduce Ukraine’s reliance on Russian gas imports. This also includes the $100m (£75m), announced today, for the Ukrainian government budget to mitigate financial pressures created by Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion.
The Government is also working to ensure aid agencies are able to respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched its Ukraine Appeal on 2 March which has now reached over £100m, with the Government matching £25m of the public’s donations. This is the Government’s largest ever aid-match contribution, which will help DEC charities provide food, water, shelter and healthcare to refugees and displaced families.
Similarly, the UK Government is welcoming displaced Ukrainians in need of a home. The Humanitarian Sponsorship Scheme will provide a route for Ukrainians without family ties to the UK. The Home Office and Department for Levelling Up are leading on a new sponsored humanitarian visa route to allow communities, private sponsors or local authorities to sponsor people to come to the UK from Ukraine.
Commenting Suella Said:
“It is inspiring to see the huge numbers of donations flooding in locally and it makes me incredibly proud to represent such an incredibly altruistic community of people. I also urge anyone to donate via the Government’s DEC fund, which promises up to £25 million in Government matched funding. Every single donation helps, and I want to assure everyone in Fareham that the Government will continue to work flat out to support the people of Ukraine.”
