UK provides more aid to help most vulnerable in Ukraine

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Britain is providing £45 million ($56.1 million) in funding to help the most vulnerable people in Ukraine and at its borders, the UK government has said.

The money will go to UN agencies and charities delivering aid and supporting survivors of sexual violence in the war-torn nation, from which the Russian invasion has forced millions of people to flee.

This means the UK’s full £220 million humanitarian aid package for Ukraine has been allocated.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “Britain has stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine throughout this conflict. As one of the largest humanitarian donors, we will continue to make sure those bearing the brunt of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s vile war have the lifesaving aid they need.

“British aid is supporting the most vulnerable in Ukraine, particularly women and children, who are facing increased risk of sexual violence and exploitation.”

Of the £45 million, £15 million will go to the UN’s Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, which distributes food, water, shelter and other necessities, as well as working to prevent sexual violence.

“This generous contribution from the United Kingdom will enable the UN’s Ukraine Humanitarian Fund to scale up the delivery of fast, effective and lifesaving aid to people who are caught up in this unfolding nightmare,” said Martin Griffiths, the UN under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief co-ordinator.

Another £15 million will go to children’s agency Unicef to provide food to pregnant women and mental health support for children.

Aid organisations in Moldova and other neighbouring countries will receive £10 million to protect those fleeing the war, while £5 million will go to the International Federation of the Red Cross in Ukraine.

Ms Truss also announced the UK would send more medical supplies, in addition to more than five million items already delivered, including about 380,000 packs of medicine and wound care packs to treat 220,000 wounded.

Britain has already committed £2 million of food supplies to parts of Ukraine encircled by Russian forces.

Seventeen lorries have delivered more than 50,000 kilograms of pasta, 10,000kg of rice, 60,000 tins of corned beef and more than 80,000 litres of water.

About £30 million in humanitarian support is going to Poland to help refugees there and to send supplies into Ukraine.

A team of war crimes experts – including specialists in conflict-related sexual violence – are travelling to Poland from Britain to help the Ukrainians gather evidence of Russian atrocities.

Ms Truss has said British intelligence will support efforts to hold the Russian political leadership to account.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to “carry on supplying Ukraine, alongside your other friends, with weapons, funding and humanitarian aid” as he addressed the country’s parliament.

About 16 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance within Ukraine and seven million are internally displaced, the UN said.

Its figures indicate 5.5 million refugees have spilled into neighbouring countries.