Race for Ukraine: Winners and Losers

by Lottie Payne

On the 24th of February 2022, Russian troops marched into Ukraine over their eastern border and the lives of the people of Ukraine changed instantly. However, just as quickly, as the tanks rolled in, so did the donations. Humanitarian charities mobilised around the world to try to right Russia’s wrongs. In the UK alone, over £100 million has been raised in a remarkably short amount of time, which has allowed for organisations such as Save the Children, Cafod, and many many more, to act quickly by setting up refugee centres on the Ukrainian border and provide food and clothing to the many people forced out of their homes by the conflict. Even the Queen and other members of the Royal Family have donated generously to the cause.

Shiplake quickly followed suit, mobilising the school community to allow them to raise funds to aid the humanitarian work needed in Ukraine. Our sponsored run was 4.5km; a combined total distance of all our runners would represent the distance between Shiplake and Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. The efforts from the whole community - held together by the Rev’s phenomenal organisation skills - generated over £19,000 with gift aid, which was then gifted to the Disaster's Emergency Committee. This was an incredible achievement and a testament to the school and its ability to respond to crises.

However, there are not only winners in this race. Only seven years ago, the people of Syria were in a similar place; left homeless by the conflict in their land and forced to flee their homes. However, unlike the many Ukrainian refugees, they were not always welcomed. Rather, they were often shunned and seen as a problem instead of a people in need.

As one million people were forced to flee over the course of the year, they greatly struggled to find asylum as countries refused homes to them. In comparison, in the space of two weeks after the war in Ukraine broke out, well over two million Ukrainian refugees had found asylum in Europe. Syrian refugees entering Turkey, 2014.

Ukrainian refugees escaping conflict, 2022. I asked the Rev about this and he was able to give another perspective to the Ukrainian crisis, explaining how this crisis feels much closer to home and how we are more motivated to help as we are able to see ourselves in the Ukrainian people. Conflicts in the Middle East are perhaps harder to relate to as they are much further away.

Nonetheless, he did acknowledge that there needs to be more equality in how refugees from all countries, faiths and races are treated and he is working towards aiding Shiplake in being part of the solution.