'Aid' lorries going to Ukraine...

[Blurp]

My Facebook timeline is suddenly full of requests from people who are filling lorries full of things to take to Ukraine - they're asking for donations of things like clothes, toiletries and food.

None of them seem to mention the name of a charity or any specifics - mostly it comes across as though some random bloke is just going to fill his lorry with stuff and drive it "to Ukraine".

At first I thought it was a great idea, but the more I read the more I'm questioning it. Not that I think the people doing it are dodgy or anything like that, more that I'm not sure how useful it would be.

Like, do they really need lorries turning up all over the place with random stuff inside? I've no doubt that much of the stuff would be useful, but how do they even start to sort through it and match it to people who need it? Where do they even go to drop it off - do they just pick a random road on the border and park there and give it out? I've seen a few people asking questions like this on the posts, but they tend to get ignored or shouted down.

As far as I'm aware, there are no issues with supply of goods to countries bordering Ukraine, so isn't it better to donate money to organisations already on the ground so that they can bulk buy what they need?

Again, I'm not knocking the people who organise these lorries or the people who donate to them; I'm just wondering how useful it really is.

@Undecicive
Szia!
At the moment we aren’t, unless it’s something specific, eg. we needed a wheelchair yesterday
I don’t know about Poland or Romania, they have more refugees (their border with Ukraine is much longer and I guess don’t have the shitty reputation we do) so they probably need more stuff

@WrongSideOfEverything, thank you for your informative & lengthy response & wow sounds like you’re doing amazing work. It’s so difficult & heartbreaking to know what actions we can do here in the UK can do to help for the best.. if you have any advise I’m sure people would be grateful for it.

I have a friend doing something similar, but his business partner has been too the Russian border to ask what help is actually needed & it turns out that bar candles/sealed batteries & self charge lamps etc, non of the other stuff I see repeatedly asked for is needed.

He is now raising cash & organising bullet proof vests & helmets & other protective clothing, as that is what they are desperate for

Ukrainian/Polish border ... WTAF autocorrect

I have a few people in my Facebook groups asking for body armour and helmets for people who are going out to fight in Ukraine... how does that work? I'd have thought the Ukrainian army would have supplied that, or are they short on equipment?

@Blurp

From my friend doing the same. They don't have enough to go round for the civilians staying behind to fight... I'm hearing that from friends who have friends in Ukraine too

My friend has sourced helmets, vests etc & has researched a safe route through for delivery from China to be sure they can actually be delivered to the Ukraine

I have a few people in my Facebook groups asking for body armour and helmets for people who are going out to fight in Ukraine... how does that work? I'd have thought the Ukrainian army would have supplied that, or are they short on equipment?

Ukrainian army would only have enough for their own troops, and also are trying to provide equipment for the militia as well as foreign fighters. I am not aware of any army in any country that would have a massive stockpile of supplies lying about anywhere. They had a stockpile of only 18k guns last week that they gave to the militia.

There's a story on the news about some celebrity (not sure who he is actually is) getting all upset because Costco wouldn't let him bulk buy Calpol to send.
I don't understand his thinking. How is it helpful to create a shortage in the UK when there will be a warehouse in Poland for whatever the equivalent of Boots is (or even the manufacturer of Calpol or equivalent) that will be able to supply much quicker and the packaging will be likely to be in a language that Ukrainians can understand (something important with medications).
Also Calpol is a branded version of liquid paracetamol. Money to the relevant charity means the charity can bulk buy a cheaper generic version. Probably direct from a manufacturer in Poland or other nearby country.

(Apparently Calpol is manufactured in France)

I've just watched a video on Facebook of so
bloke who's gone out there with a van full of stuff. He's talking about opening our borders to refugees and claimed that orphans are stuck because their parents have sent them away for their own safety!
I've never heard of orphans with parents! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I don't know about the situation in Ukraine, but in some countries children with parents can be placed in orphanages if their parents can't look after them (eg they can't afford it, or they're in prison, or I'll).

'Orphanages' is just another word for Children's Homes really.

This seems like a good time to direct posters interested in Ukraine's children in orphanages and institutions over to the Lumos charity website again: www.wearelumos.org

There are over 100,000 children, many disabled, trapped in orphanages and institutions in Ukraine, one of the highest numbers in Europe, and now in a war zone. Lumos have been working in Ukraine since 2013 and now have a Ukraine Emergency Appeal.

All donations will be used in full to help the children. JKR covers all administration costs. She is also matching any donations made to the emergency appeal up to £1million.

Donations can be made from the UK, US and the rest of the world via the website.

Do they even use Calpol in the Ukraine? Surely local medicines that people are familiar with and have instructions in the local language would be more useful?

In almost every instance, it really is better to donate cash to DEC, which is a coalition of 15 charities including the Red Cross, or a similar established and experienced charity like Lumos already working on the ground too, rather than send goods in a van across Europe, however well-meaning.

Tiger Calpol is a brand name. Some countries have it under the name of Tylenol.
Apparently the main bulk of paracetamol is manufactured in China and India. So buying a load off the shelf from a retailer in the UK is just daft. It could be bought directly from the factories in bulk with money donations.

@Legoisthebest

Tiger Calpol is a brand name. Some countries have it under the name of Tylenol. Apparently the main bulk of paracetamol is manufactured in China and India. So buying a load off the shelf from a retailer in the UK is just daft. It could be bought directly from the factories in bulk with money donations.

Thanks! I live abroad and we don't have Calpol here, so I think locals would be very confused by it. Young children are given paracetamol but in powder form. I just think people are more comfortable giving their kids medicine they are familiar with, so whatever form paracetamol for kids is usually given in the Ukraine would make more sense to me. Then parents can understand better about dosages and stuff. If I gave a parent in the UK powdered paracetamol, they would probably not understand how to administer it or how much is needed.

That's a very good point about different types of paracetamol and people wanting to use what they are familiar with.

I recall my own mum being bamboozled by "the stick thing" and complaining how rubbish the bottle was for pouring on to a spoon.

I wouldn't have a clue about quality of paracetamol powder or what to do with it.

I also think other medical stuff is probably more important than paracetamol for the Ukrainians, inhalers, insulin, routine prescription meds.

Tiger Calpol/Tylenol is paracetamol in liquid form and there are different strengths depending on age. It's really irresponsible and dangerous to send medication that's different and in the wrong language.

I've always wondered what Tylenol was! My mum used to crush up a tablet on a spoon with a drop of water and some sugar! Which is basically what Calpol is!😆

I don't think he was talking about 'orphanages' but o do ideals who were sending their children to family etc.

I've never heard of orphans with parents! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Lots of orphanages/childrens homes in other countries have children who do have parents /a parent and /or extended relatives. The reason they may be in care could be due to extreme poverty, incapacitation of a parent, special needs that their community can't cater for or perhaps their extended relatives are also not in a position to help.

But growing up in institutional care is not good at all for children.

Have a read:
www.wearelumos.org/

I know there are orphanages and homes like that, but he was talking about children who were with their families and were being sent as refugees on their own.

There are lots of small Polish charities, informal groups working on the boarder where those donations are going. I am a volunteer for a Polish political association. We have volunteers based on the Polish border looking after babies from Ukrainian orphanages and women who just gave birth or arrived from Ukrainian with newborns. We are collecting clothes, nappies, cosmetics, anything baby related. I am happy to share details if anyone is interested. It's just a part of the work we are doing.

Completely agree. People should donate to DEC or similar
www.dec.org.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxYDywMHG9gIVyMLtCh3WygfoEAAYASAAEgKrY_D_BwE

As it is the lorries are just blocking customs and unfortunately a lot of the stuff being donated isn’t fit for purpose.