People from across the world are supporting Ukrainians after Russia invaded the country over a week ago.
Thousands of refugees have reached the borders of neighbouring Poland, Hungary and Romania, fleeing the advancing forces while lots of citizens remain in the country.
There are traditional routes available to help Ukrainians, such as donating money to charities like the Red Cross or the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal, with offerings being matched by the UK Government.
But people have found other innovative ways to help Ukrainians, using popular websites to donate money in subtle ways.
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Airbnb, launched to book properties for holiday rentals, is being used to ensure refugees have somewhere to stay free of charge, as well as sending money to Ukrainians who have hosted guests in the past.
The CEO of Airbnb Brian Chesky is urging people to offer their homes in countries near Ukraine, including Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania to help house refugees escaping the country.
But that’s not the only way the property-booking website is playing a role in assisting Ukrainians. People are also booking Airbnbs in Ukraine without the intention of staying, so the host receives the money directly.
Fees have been waived by Airbnb to make it easier for people to book, and hosts have been flooded with messages of support from those making the charitable bookings.
If you’re planning on doing this, however, it is important to verify Airbnb as scammers can post fake adverts.
Double check the advert before you book by making sure it has consistent reviews and no messages on the advert encouraging you to contact them outside of the website.
The website Etsy, which is used by small businesses owners or individuals to sell products, is another way people are ensuring money reaches Ukrainians directly.
Etsy users can buy digital downloads of artworks from the website, which means the seller doesn’t have to worry about shipping.
You can do this by searching for digital files on the website and filtering it by country.
Like Airbnb, Etsy has waived their seller fees for Ukrainians, which according to CEO Josh Silverman works out at around £3million.
The website now has a page dedicated to products supporting Ukraine, making it easier for shoppers to help sellers in the war-torn country.
It's important to always check the sellers is verified before you make any purchases.
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