The Sussexes announce donations to a wide variety of charities dealing with Ukraine

The day Russia invaded Ukraine, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. They were called “breathtakingly arrogant” by royal commentators, who also made fun of Harry and Meghan for, like, not stopping the Russian invasion? Within a matter of days, Prince Charles, Camilla, William and Kate all issued their own statements in support of Ukraine. None of those people were referred to as “breathtakingly arrogant,” which was very weird! Reportedly, Charles and Camilla have made donations to charities working in Ukraine, or with displaced Ukrainians. The Queen and the Cambridges have donated too, although everything is pretty muddy and no one has mentioned those donations in more than a week (we never got a solid confirmation on just where the money came from or went either). Now the Sussexes have announced a round of donations. Via Archwell:

Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, through their non-profit Archewell Foundation, have made donations to a number of organizations working on the ground to support the people of Ukraine, including HIAS, The HALO Trust, and a coalition of Ukrainian media such as The Kyiv Independent, supported through the organization Are We Europe. We are also continuing to work with our partners at World Central Kitchen and The World Health Organization to assist with the global and local humanitarian response to the crisis.

Finally, our hearts are heavy as we acknowledge the recent loss of a member of our veteran community in Ukraine, who was defending his country from attack. We also pay tribute to the brave men and women from our global veteran community, past and present, who have long protected their countries and families with unparalleled strength and determination. We are continuing to work and speak with the Invictus Games Foundation daily to help however we can.

All of us at Archewell have been inspired by the work these organizations have taken on– and also by the stories from those on the frontlines.

[From Archewell]

The rest of the Archewell post is full of longer descriptions of the work being done by the charities highlighted. World Central Kitchen especially has been on the ground in Ukraine and in refugee camps in Poland, since the very start of the invasion. The Sussexes are covering multiple angles here too – We Are Europe is in support of local journalists covering the invasion and war; HIAS is about refugees; The World Health Organization is about getting medical equipment and personnel into Ukraine. It’s a very thoughtful explainer and a reminder (to me) that it’s important for high-profile individuals to actually explain where their donations are going and why, because it actually helps raise the profiles of various charities and organizations and will spur more donations.

(It’s also interesting timing, this Archewell post happening on the eve of the Keen Caribbean Tour. I imagine there’s some seething happening at Kensington Palace as Bob Marley t-shirts are being furiously packed.)

“You are saving lives every single day.” – Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex

Olesia & Maryna are working on the ground in Ukraine with HALO to help keep families safe. This week, they shared their experiences with Prince Harry.

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— The HALO Trust (@TheHALOTrust) March 18, 2022

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid and Instar.