Refugees Welcome: Joely Richardson and Erin O’Connor add support to our Ukraine appeal

More stars of the entertainment and fashion world have backed our appeal for Ukrainian refugees as the number of people escaping the Russian invasion passed 1.5 million, with no signs of the human tide abating.

Actress Joely Richardson and model Erin O’Connor said the distress faced by Ukrainians forced to flee their homes was “unimaginable” and called on people to donate generously as the amount raised by our Refugees Welcome appeal passed £100k.

Together with government match-funding of £56k and the appeal of our sister title the Evening Standard, the aggregate raised by our joint appeals now exceeds £250k.

As Russia laid siege to key Ukrainian cities, O’Connor said: “Over the past days Ukrainians have watched their homes, lives, schools and workplaces be destroyed.

“They’ve been forced to flee or hide in basements. They’ve been torn apart from family and friends.

“As a parent, I cannot begin to imagine the distress and heartache these brave parents are facing and the decisions they’ve had to make to keep their children safe. Please donate generously.”

Richardson said: “No one should have to flee their homes or witness their family being torn apart and no child should have to endure that level of distress.

“As an ambassador of Save the Children, a beneficiary of your appeal, I’ve seen first-hand the support they and other organisations within the Disasters Emergency Committee provide families affected by conflict.

“Whatever you’re able to give will help ensure fleeing families have food, water and shelter – and that children will be offered psychosocial support.”

Save the Children’s head of news, Dan Stewart, who is on the Romanian Ukraine border, said: “At our distribution point, the question, ‘where are you from?’ was enough to bring tears to the eyes of a mother as she picked up a stuffed toy for the toddler she was carrying.

“One family told us how they were forced to abandon their car and walk through fields. Another spent six days sheltering in a basement while their town was bombarded. When they emerged they saw their home had been hit. Mums are doing everything they can to shield and protect their children from the scale of the horror that has been unfolding around them.”

All donations go to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal, which is bringing together 13 leading UK aid charities including the Red Cross and Save the Children. The DEC will ensure your money is efficiently disseminated to help people displaced from their homes in Ukraine or fleeing across the border.

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.