Baby Lisa is safe now thanks to donations to our Ukraine appeal

Baby Lisa is safe and warm now in her new woolly hat… thanks to your donations swelling the Mail Force Ukraine Refugee appeal

  • One-year-old Lisa is safe and warm in a Lviv shelter thanks to Daily Mail readers
  • The youngster was given shelter by Unicef, the United Nations children’s charity 
  • Mail Force has been providing funding to the charity which is helping refugees

With a smile worth a million pounds, this baby receives a kiss from mum and a woolly hat – courtesy of Daily Mail readers.

One-year-old Lisa is safe and warm at last after a terrifying week under Vladimir Putin’s bombardment.

The youngster spent nights with mother Yuliia, 42, and her brothers – ten-year-old Mykhailo and Tymofii, 12 – cowering in the basement of their home in Kharkiv. Above ground, Russian forces mercilessly bombed the north-eastern city, where apartment blocks, schools and hospitals were all pounded. In the cold and dark, all that Yuliia could do was hope and pray that the walls would protect them from the deadly explosions outside.

Comfort: Lisa in new beanie with mum Yuliia at a Unicef shelter in Lviv, Ukraine

They were given food and clothing, and most importantly, peace

‘It was cold and dirty,’ she recalled. ‘The children slept fully dressed.’ Eventually, she grabbed their travel documents and some baby food, and they fled.

‘When the planes started flying above our heads, it was very scary,’ she said. ‘The children were horrified.’ Her husband stayed in Kharkiv to take care of his elderly mother.

Her sons are still haunted by their panic-filled train journey to the western city of Lviv. ‘There were no seats left on the train. The children were just sitting on the bags at the end of the carriage. And outside the window was explosions and smoke. They were very scared,’ she said.

In Lviv, the family were given shelter by Unicef, the United Nations children’s charity which is receiving funding from Mail Force.

They were given food and clothing, and most importantly, peace.

‘All we had are the documents and clothes that we wore when leaving,’ said Yuliia. ‘But it’s comfortable here. And most importantly, it’s quiet.’

To meet the needs of thousands of families, Unicef has given 30 tons of clothing, blankets and hygiene items to centres across Ukraine.

A spokesman said: ‘Many families left the regions of the country where the fighting is taking place, having only taken the things that they could carry in their hands. Thanks to your donations, families like Yuliia’s can now find much-needed winter clothing.’

Yuliia added: ‘I couldn’t change the children’s clothes because I didn’t have anything. And now I have jackets, trousers, hats and everything I need.’

The Mail Force Ukraine Appeal has raised more than £8million. At the request of Lord and Lady Rothermere, the Mail’s parent company DMGT has donated £500,000. The charity is distributing the money to where it is needed most. As well as the Red Cross, a £1million donation is being made to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) which is helping families caught in the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.

Another £250,000 was announced at the weekend for The Halo Trust, the bomb-clearing charity made famous by Princess Diana, to help buy new vehicles and mine-detecting equipment.

The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL

Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis.

Calling upon that human spirit, we are now launching an appeal to raise money for refugees from Ukraine.

For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families – mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly – fleeing from Russia’s invading armed forces.

As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of a tyrant will require accommodation, schools and medical support.

All donations to the Mail Ukraine Appeal will be distributed to charities and aid organisations providing such essential services.

In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously.

TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE 

Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate 

To add Gift Aid to a donation – even one already made – complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine

Via bank transfer, please use these details:

Account name: Mail Force Charity

Account number: 48867365

Sort code: 60-00-01

TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE

Make your cheque payable to ‘Mail Force’ and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY

TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US

US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003

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