Myleene Klass and Paul O’Grady add support to our Refugees Welcome appeal

More celebrities are getting behind our Refugees Welcome appeal as the United Nations report that the number of Ukrainians who have fled their homes now exceeds 10 million, a quarter of the population, with 3.4 million crossing the border into neighbouring countries.

Singer Myleene Klass and broadcaster and comedian Paul O’Grady both focused on the “traumatic” and “devastating consequences” on Ukrainian children.

Their backing follows similar calls to support our appeal and dig deep by TV presenters Mariella Frostrup and Natasha Kaplinsky, comedian Dom Joly, actress Joely Richardson and model Erin O’Connor.

Klass said: “There are no words for the atrocity that is taking place right now in Ukraine. Children are being left traumatised from the violence and shelling they’ve experienced and from having to flee with just the clothes on their backs. As a parent, I can’t begin to imagine the turmoil these parents are facing trying to protect their children. By donating to the Refugees Welcome appeal, you can help provide essential supplies and cash assistance to charities they are supporting, such as Save the Children, that will help families to meet basic needs like food, rent and medicines.”

O’Grady said: “The crisis in Ukraine continues to escalate with devastating consequences for children. Every night I think of those facing long days and even longer nights exposed to below-zero conditions. Families have been forced from their homes and made to walk unfathomable distances to escape the violence. Your donations will allow Save the Children, one of 13 charities funded by the Refugees Welcome appeal, to provide children and families with immediate aid, such as food, water, hygiene kits and cash assistance.”

So far we have raised more than £300k along with our sister title, the Evening Standard. And The Independent’s petition is nearing a total of 220,000 signatures, please add yours today to have your say.

Together we are part of a much larger effort supporting the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal, which has so far raised a phenomenal £200 million and is bringing together leading UK aid charities including the Red Cross and Save the Children. More is needed, with the number of refugees expected to continue to grow in the coming weeks.

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.