Ashley Jensen and Angela Hartnett add their support to our Refugees Welcome appeal

More hospitality and entertainment stars have backed our Refugees Welcome appeal as the United Nations report that 10.8 million Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes, including 4.3 million refugees who have fled the country due to the war.

English chef Angela Hartnett, a protege of Gordon Ramsay who made her name at the Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados and The Connaught in London, as well as actress Ashley Jensen, star of the television series Extras, said they were horrified by the “unimaginable chaos and brutality” that families have witnessed but also encouraged by the essential help that aid charities were dispensing.

Hartnett said: “It is impossible to watch the footage on the news and not be horrified by the situation in Ukraine and surrounding countries. Me and my colleagues in the hospitality industry are proud to back The Independent’s Refugees Welcome appeal, which is supporting Action Against Hunger as part of their fundraising for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).

“Donations allow vulnerable people to access essential items amidst unimaginable chaos. As a chef, whose life is centred around providing food for others, I am proud to speak out for Action Against Hunger who are providing hot food and drinks to refugees who have just crossed the border.”

Jensen said: “Children in Ukraine forced to flee or hide in basements are being exposed to brutal conditions. It’s unimaginable how frightened these children and their families must be feeling. With so much uncertainty at the moment, it’s hard to know what to do to help. Save the Children [another charity supported by the DEC effort] aims to reach millions of children and their families with immediate aid and recovery such as, food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, safe spaces and cash assistance in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.”

So far we have raised more than £400,000 along with our sister title, the Evening Standard. Together we are part of a much larger effort supporting the DEC’s Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal, which is bringing together leading UK aid charities including Action Against Hunger, the Red Cross and Save the Children.

The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.