According to Forbes.ua, financial and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, excluding military assistance, amounts for more than € 17 billion. The largest portion of the funds is designated for humanitarian aid, including food, medical care, support for vulnerable populations and communities including migrants and refugees in Ukraine and the region.
Not only governments and international organizations, but also citizens and charitable foundations are participating in the protection of Ukrainians and countering of the Russian attack. Forbes notes that ‘the most successful private initiatives have raised tens of millions of dollars and are comparable with contributions of specific European countries’.
Among the TOP10 of foundations, companies and individuals to support Ukraine is Blue/Yellow, a Lithuanian non-government organization that has been supporting Ukraine’s armed resistance since 2014. It provides Ukrainian soldiers, volunteers and territorial defense forces fighting for the freedom of Ukraine with non-lethal supplies.
Raising more than € 25 million, Blue/Yellow is the second largest foundation in the world supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It yielded only to Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian non-governmental organization helping Ukrainian military since the War in Donbas. Its aid has already topped € 100 million.
Jonas Öhman, the Head of Blue/Yellow, notes that they are one of the most effective foundations on Forbes list. “More than 95% of the money people, businesses and our partners donate to us reaches the front line in Ukraine. Our administrative costs are especially low since we only have three employees, other people helping us are volunteers. We are sincerely thankful for their devotion and hard work,” Öhman says.
Other Lithuanian organizations sending humanitarian help to Ukraine and helping Ukrainian refugees include Lithuanian Red Cross, Strong Together, Small but Strong, Helping Wing, donations for Ukraine are being collected at Aukok.lt.
Lithuania as a country is also among the biggest supporters of Ukraine. According to the data of Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Lithuanian Government contributed almost 0.2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) and takes the 6th place on the list of the Ukraine's biggest supporters in relation to economic output. Leaders of the list are Estonia, Latvia, and Poland, while the U.S. and Germany rank on 10th and 11th place respectively, each contributing around 0.05 percent of their GDP according to the available data.
