#coopforucraina is the fundraising campaign that is promoted by Coop to bring immediate help to Ukrainian families fleeing the war. Coop's campaign supports the UN Agency for Refugees-UNHCR, the Community of Sant'Egidio, and Médecins Sans Frontières, which have been present in Ukraine for years.
The donations of members and consumers collected from March 4 will be added to a starting allocation of 500,000 euros already provided by Coop. The overall goal is to exceed 1 million euros.
A constantly evolving situation, a terrain on which it is difficult to intervene, to understand what is happening: this is the emergency of the war in Ukraine in these hours. Until now, there are more than one million displaced people, hundreds of thousands of citizens stranded in Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and many other cities that were bombed in recent days. Just with the intention of pure support to these populations, Coop starts the fundraising campaign #coopforucraina. The campaign starts with an allocation of 500,000 euros that all consumer cooperatives have already made available, on which will be added the donations of members and consumers who in recent days have asked for the activation of a channel to give their help. The subscription is also open to Coop employees who wish to donate hours of their work; in this case, the cooperatives are committed to doubling the contributions that are collected. The consumer cooperatives are once again supporting the UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency), the Community of Sant'Egidio, and Médecins Sans Frontières, which had already collaborated on the #coopforafrica vaccine campaign. All three are already active on the Ukrainian territory with projects that have been consolidated for years, which now are converted into first aid programs.
The campaign kicks off on March 4 and aims to exceed 1 million euros. You can donate at the tills of over 1100 Coop stores or use the platform eppela.com/coopforucraina or the dedicated bank account (IBAN - IT 36 H 02008 05364 000106357816). All three ways are active from Friday, March 4. The aim is to provide health care, first aid kits, food, clothes, and shelter at the border with Ukraine and all that is necessary for a constantly changing scenario, which is difficult to predict even for the associations that know well the territory.
"We can't stand by and watch; our members, who have always been supportive and attentive citizens of the world, are asking us to help them and the Ukrainian population. It's the reality of this dramatic war that pushes us to act - explains Marco Pedroni President of Coop Italy and Ancc-Coop (National Association of Consumer Cooperatives) - The commitment to peace and solidarity have always been in the DNA of Coop; we have decided the first allocation to start the aid, and then we want to allow members and customers to contribute in turn. We know that the help we will be able to give will be largely insufficient, but it is our way to act. We won't solve the problems of a nation and a population that are currently being bombarded, but we will make a quick and concrete contribution to those affected with the spirit that has always animated the cooperative movement."
"In one week, one million people have been forced to flee Ukraine - says Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR Representative for Italy, the Holy See, and San Marino - We have rarely witnessed an exodus as rapid as this one in the recent decades. UNHCR staff are already present throughout the region and we are strengthening and expanding our refugee protection and assistance programs in support of host governments. Inside Ukraine, our workers are working in very difficult conditions: we know the needs are enormous and we remain wherever our work can help save lives. At this moment, everyone's help is essential: this is why we want to thank COOP that has chosen once again to guarantee its precious help to the populations forced to flee".
"The drama that the Ukrainian people are experiencing concerns us closely. After so many years of peace, we cannot resign ourselves to a war that disfigures the face of Europe, but we need to insist that dialogue should start and that the conflict is stopped - says Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Community of Sant'Egidio -. In the meantime, the aid to cope with emergencies, such as the #coopforucraina campaign, is more important than ever. It will be necessary to support the projects that Sant'Egidio has in the Ukrainian territory, such as long-distance adoptions that have been active for years and the reception of refugees in Poland and other countries that are bordering Ukraine, where our communities are active and where the experience we have had for years with the model of humanitarian corridors can help us."
"Médecins Sans Frontières is supporting doctors in Kyiv from several hospitals and health centers. The biggest challenge today is finding access points to the regions of Ukraine most affected by the fighting," says Stefano Di Carlo, director-general of MSF. "In the meantime, we are sending teams to Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia to assess and respond to the humanitarian needs of people fleeing the borders while other teams are ready to intervene in Russia and Belarus as well."
Rome, March 4th, 2022.
