Alina Oprea • 21 February, 2023 at 2:58 PM
One year after launching the Appeal for Ukraine in the Donations section, the financial app Revolut introduces the ”Collections” feature to make it easier to identify and direct funds to NGOs associated with the same cause and adds a new global civil society partner, British-Ukrainian Aid. Revolut and its users have donated more than € 11.8 million to refugees in Ukraine. €860,000 were donated by Romanian users, in the application, to the NGOs that joined the Appeal (Romanian Red Cross, Hope and Homes for Children, Fundația Regală Margareta a României, Code for Romania).
Revolut, the financial application with over 27 million customers globally, of which 2.6 million in Romania, marks a year since the launch of the call to support Ukrainian refugees and adds the Collections function, in the application. At the same time, Revolut introduces a new civil society partner, British-Ukrainian Aid, a non-governmental organization created in 2014 by the Ukrainian community in Great Britain.
The new function, Collections, allows the association of NGOs that are dedicated to the same cause, in the application, to make it easier to identify entities that are committed to supporting the same vulnerable categories. For example, the list of partners for the Appeal for Ukraine includes charitable entities that support Ukrainian refugees on the territory of Romania (Romanian Red Cross, Hope and Homes for Children, Fundația Regală Margareta a României and Code for Romania), but also other representatives of civil society that he dedicates his work to the same cause.
In the 12 months that have passed since the start of the Appeal for Ukraine, Revolut and its customers have collected over €11.8 million in the application, of which 860,000 euros were donated to Romanian NGOs involved in actions to support the population affected by the war in the neighbouring country. €1.7 million represents Revolut's contribution to the donation to the cause of refugees in Ukraine, as announced on March 1, 2022 by Revolut's CEO, Nik Storonsky.
"As a British citizen with Ukrainian roots, I thank everyone who has so far decided to join us in this appeal and I invite you to stand by us in supporting this cause by donating to associations such as British-Ukrainian Aid. With Revolut, 100% of the donated amounts are directed to the beneficiaries of the Appeal for Ukraine", said Vlad Yatsenko, co-founder of Revolut and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of the financial application.
The Romanian Red Cross states that the humanitarian disaster of the last 12 months has affected every aspect of the lives of millions of people in Ukraine.
"Many are unable to return home, and those still in their country face dire conditions, with limited access to water, heat, healthcare and other essential services. The temperature drops compound their daily challenges. As the war escalates and enters its second year, the impact on the mental health of those affected inside and outside of Ukraine is increasing. The Romanian Red Cross mobilized quickly since the outbreak of the conflict and supported 575,538 people affected by the war. It has helped thousands of people with food, hygiene products, health services and psychosocial support, integration services for children and adults, etc. However, millions of people continue to need our help to adjust to a new life in Romania or Ukraine. The generosity of our donors allowed us to transport 462 trucks loaded with 5,172 tons of essential materials to Ukraine. In order to continue, we still need your support. They all need our help and protection. The danger has not passed. Next, they need food, shelter, help. In the future, we are in solidarity", says the Romanian Red Cross.
For its part, Hope and Homes for Children Romania has supported since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine a number of 8,000 children and adults, of which 300 are children from the child protection system in Ukraine.
"The foundation has been involved in supporting refugees at the Siret and Sighetu Marmației border points, through specific interventions, but also by covering continuous needs related to food, housing, education or medical needs. This year, the Foundation's priority remains the care of children - those who arrived from orphanages in Ukraine, but also those accompanied by their families, who will continue to receive shelter, food, basic necessities, but also support for integration into the communities where they live find out", says Hope and Homes for Children Romania.
The Royal Margaret Foundation of Romania states that the "Refugee Aid" project was launched by the Royal Margaret Foundation of Romania a year ago, when families with children were fleeing the path of war and crossing the border into Romania, looking for a safe place for their lives.
"In a few weeks, the aid project was extended throughout the country, to provide emergency support to refugees arriving in various communities. Through donations and resources mobilized for refugees, we provided prompt support to children, mothers, grandparents and other vulnerable categories, acting through a network of 21 local NGOs. Thus, we came to the aid of over 5,300 refugees in 12 counties: Alba, Argeș, Arad, Bacău, Bistrița-Năsăud, Brașov, Galați, Iași, Cluj, Maramureș, Tulcea, Satu Mare. The refugees were supported with: hosting, meals, transport, clothing and shoes, guidance, emotional relief, social counseling, medical services, educational activities, but also through other necessary interventions. In 2023, the Refugee Aid project continues both for those who are still with us from last year, and to welcome and accommodate new refugees, who have lost their homes, family members or the courage to remain in the battle of arms. This tragic event demonstrated to the whole world the nobility and generosity of Romanians, as well as the power of peers to change destinies when we act together," declared the Royal Margaret Foundation of Romania.
And one year after the start of the war in Ukraine, the ecosystem of digital solutions developed in record time by Code for Romania has already helped 1.3 million people.
"In addition to information about legal issues, refugees found information about how they can have safe access to a roof, medical services for the chronically ill, education or transportation. The need for help does not disappear when public sentiment subsides, and vulnerable people continue to need access to safe housing, healthcare, basic legal information, education, transportation or jobs. Next, every 5 minutes, 3 refugees receive help through these digital solutions. Code for Romania also offers them direct support in Ukrainian, guiding them to the right solution for their problems", says Code for Romania.
Moreover, Revolut also launched a special version of the app last year to be used by Ukrainian refugees who left the country because of the war. On March 14, the top-up in Revolut accounts became available in the local hryvnia currency, and since then the application has been downloaded more than 500,000 times. With the app, which also allows for the creation of an account in the local currency, users can hold funds in 30 fiat currencies and make payments in over 150 currencies. The most users of this version of the app are in Poland, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Holland, France and Spain. For example, Ukrainian users in Spain made payments with their Revolut card in more than two countries, and those in Portugal paid in an average of 4 countries. These statistics are also proof of the difficult road travelled by most of the refugees after leaving Ukraine, passing through more than two countries to reach their current destination.
In 2015, Revolut launched in the UK, with money transfer and currency exchange services. Currently, over 27 million customers in the world, of which more than 2.6 million from Romania, use Revolut services and carry out over 330 million transactions per month.