Ellen DeGeneres, Bruce Springsteen, Billie Eilish among dozens of stars taking part in social media rally for Ukraine
Dozens of stars are set to join a social media rally Friday to raise money for Ukrainian refugees.
The virtual rally organized by Global Citizen, called “Stand Up for Ukraine,” will feature celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres, Bruce Springsteen, Billie Eilish, Chris Rock, Madonna, Hugh Jackman and Elton John, among others.
The rally “aims to mobilize billions of dollars to address the crisis in Ukraine as well as support people who are on the move in every part of the world.”
“We have all witnessed the catastrophe unfolding in Ukraine, where the human cost has been devastating, destroying lives and leading to mass displacement,” Global Citizen said in a press release.
It cited United Nations figures that 12 million people are in need of assistance because of the war, 6.5 million have been displaced internally, and another 3.2 million have fled Ukraine, including some 2 million women and children.
The virtual rally on Friday is a lead-up to a pledging event Saturday in Warsaw, Poland, to further mobilize funding for Ukraine, which will be led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Millions of people are fleeing the bombs falling on Ukrainian cities,” von der Leyen said in the press release. “They are leaving their homes and their lives behind, to reach safety in other parts of Ukraine or in neighbouring countries. A Ukrainian child has become a refugee almost every single second since the start of the war. The world must stand up for them.”
Global Citizen is asking social media users joining the rally to post a video of themselves urging world leaders to take action on the Ukrainian refugee crisis.
The event comes as the U.S. announced last week that it would accept up to 100,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The U.S. ambassador to Poland this week called for “injections of cash” to help leading NGOs assist Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia with finding shelter in Poland, where the vast majority have fled.
Polish Humanitarian Action said the regufees are in need of shelter, food, water and hygiene products, as well as medical treatment for conflict-related injuries and ailments that can no longer be treated in Ukraine.
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