How LifeStraw Is Responding To The Refugee Crisis In Ukraine

Since Russia’s recent invasion, more than 6 million people, the vast majority women and children, have fled Ukraine, and more than 14 million people have been displaced. Many are walking and waiting in queues for days to escape, facing freezing temperatures, violence, and the threat of bombardment. Hundreds of thousands more are displaced within their own country.

Russia has deliberately targeted civilians, residential buildings, hospitals and essential infrastructure, leaving many without adequate water, food and electricity.

LifeStraw is actively working with our colleagues, partners, and distributors in Europe to monitor and respond to the growing refugee crisis, with safe water and other critical needs. To date, LifeStraw has shipped over 19,575 filters and purifiers to Ukraine and bordering countries, to reach over 30,000 people with safe water—both to displaced people within Ukraine and refugees in neighboring countries. Thousands more filters have been delivered by our local distributors. We are working with a number of other organizations to organize additional shipments.

We also continue to support refugee crises across the globe, including in these same parts of Europe that have been reluctant to welcome, and have often violently blocked, non-white refugees from the Middle East and Africa. We condemn the blatant racism demonstrated by officials and the reports of Indians and Africans being pushed from queues and trains while trying to escape Ukraine. We believe everyone deserves safe refuge and safe water, no matter their skin color or their nationality. 

We will continue to update this blog as more information becomes available and more shipments go out.