YOUR 500,000 FOOD BOXES FOR UKRAINE
Mail delivers desperately needed supplies to families trapped in the middle of war – thanks to millions donated by kind-hearted readers
DESPERATELY hungry families struggling for survival in war-torn Ukraine are set to receive 500,000 boxes of food – thanks to £4million donated by kind-hearted Mail readers.
The urgently needed parcels are on their way across Europe in a 2,000-mile mercy mission jointly funded by the record-breaking Mail Force refugee appeal, which has raised an astonishing £11million so far, and charitable donations to the Ukrainian embassy in London. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky
paid tribute to the operation after the first 20 tons of food from the UK were unloaded in a secure depot in Poland. From there, our boxes will be packed on to freight trains and transported to civilians in the far east of Ukraine where Vladimir Putin is mounting a major military offensive.
The exact routes and destinations are being kept secret by the Ukrainian government over fears that they will be targeted by Russian forces.
Over the coming weeks, up to 12 lorries a day will depart the packaging depot in Leicestershire, each loaded with thousands of vital food boxes, which have been funded by Mail readers and sourced from British suppliers.
Ukrainian officials today reveal that food has, in recent weeks, become the most vital aid the West can provide as Putin wages a ‘targeted campaign to try to starve innocent civilians’.
Families living in eastern Ukraine have told The Mail on Sunday that
‘One of most ambitious aid campaigns ever seen’
they are running out of food after Russian troops shelled farms, food processing plants, warehouses and supermarkets.
In some cases, Ukrainian civilians in besieged towns have been forced to drink water from puddles and radiators, and kill stray dogs in order to survive.
The appalling Russian tactics have been compared to the horrors of Ukraine’s great famine of 1932, known as the Holodomor, when Joseph Stalin ruthlessly seized food supplies.
President Zelensky said last night: ‘Thank you to the kind Mail readers for your generous support. These food boxes will help those in desperate need.’
Mr Johnson added: ‘The generosity of Mail readers is humbling, and your phenomenal kindness will support the most vulnerable in Ukraine as they needlessly suffer at the hands of Putin’s barbaric war.
‘I saw first-hand last weekend just how strong the Ukrainian spirit is, and I know Putin will never succeed in diminishing it.
‘The UK will continue to do all we can to keep the flame of freedom burning in Ukraine.’
Putin’s invasion has seen four million refugees flee Ukraine over the past seven weeks, with another ten million forced to abandon their homes with the few belongings they can carry. The Mail Force boxes containing, among other things, dried pasta, biscuits and canned goods to sustain them as they try to find refuge.
Boxes will also be given to the elderly and disabled who were unable to leave areas under attack. In the coming days, tens of thousands more Mail Force-funded food boxes will be despatched to Ukraine in one of the most ambitious newspaper humanitarian aid campaigns ever launched. We know our mission to deliver vital food to eastern Ukraine won’t solve the crisis there, but it’s a start and will save lives.
David Dillon, Editor of The Mail
on Sunday, said: ‘When we launched the Ukraine refugee appeal on February 27, we knew Mail readers would be generous.
‘In fact, your response has been awe-inspiring. Now, thanks to your compassion, thousands of hungry and desperate people will receive much-needed food.’
Sourcing, packing and sending the 500,000 food boxes is costing £8 million in total – of which £4million will come from Mail Force Ukraine Refugee Appeal funds and the other half from the Ukrainian embassy.
A host of leading British businesses have joined forces to help source, package and transport the food to Ukraine.
The Confederation of British Industry and consultants Accenture have sourced millions of food items from food manufacturers and supermarket giant Morrisons.
Around 40,000 food boxes have already been sent into Ukraine in a pilot scheme.
The boxes are being packed by workers for Oakland International
– one of the country’s top packaging and distribution firms – at its vast warehouse near Leicester.
None of the businesses involved in the project will make any profit. The Foreign Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have helped get the project off the ground.
Lord Bilimoria, president of the CBI, said: ‘For weeks the CBI has been using its convening power, bringing businesses together to send food boxes to Ukrainian families.
‘The Mail Force campaign will help deliver millions more in what is already a gargantuan effort on behalf of the UK business community.’
In an article in today’s Mail on Sunday, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, accuses Putin of a war crime by deliberately starving the population.
He writes: ‘They have bombed grain silos, food warehouses and stores, chicken farms, seed plants, packing factories and even shopping centres and supermarkets where people have been killed while waiting in queues to buy food. Russian forces have deliberately shelled farms, killed livestock, and laid landmines on agricultural land.’
He adds: ‘I wish to extend my deepest thanks and gratitude to the wonderful Mail readers who have generously helped my countrymen and women in our darkest hour. Your amazing support will literally save people’s lives.’
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: ‘Vital donations of food from Mail readers will help save lives and support Ukrainians in the face of Russia’s barbaric invasion.
‘Britain is one of the biggest donors of aid to Ukraine and it is brilliant to see the public rallying around the cause.’
The Mail’s refugee appeal, launched in the days after the war began, is the fastest-growing newspaper fundraiser ever. It was kickstarted by a £500,000 donation from the Mail’s parent company DMGT at the request of Lord Rothermere, chairman of the Daily Mail and General Trust, and Lady Rothermere.
Readers responded in their droves to the urgent request for aid.
The appeal has received more than 70,000 cheques from readers ranging in value from £1 to
‘It’s brilliant to see the public rallying around’
£250,000, many including personal notes of support. Thousands more have donated via bank transfers, phone and text messages.
Our campaign has been backed by celebrities, leading politicians, and royalty. Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has made a substantial donation.
Mail Force, a registered charity, was set up by the Mail during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 to get 42million items of personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS workers.
Last year, it funded more than 26,000 laptops to help underprivileged children who were missing out on schooling during lockdown.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Mail Force turned its sights on helping refugees caught up in the horrors of war.
Every penny raised by the appeal is being spent on helping those in need in Ukraine.
Alongside the food boxes, Mail Force has donated almost £4million to charities including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Care International, The Halo Trust, AMAR Foundation, Refugee Council and Refugees at Home.
Andrew Lane, chair of trustees for Mail Force, said: ‘As soon as Mail Force heard Ukraine’s greatest need is now food supplies, we knew Mail readers would want to see their incredibly generous donations used to help those in dire need.
‘Thanks to you, our readers and all the people who have helped us, your money will save lives and send a beacon of hope to the millions of displaced people in the worst-hit regions of Ukraine.’