More than £13 million for Ukraine humanitarian aid has been raised in Wales, a charity has announced.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), made up of leading UK charities, began its Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal shortly after Russia's invasion of the country.

The group says it has raised more than £350m across the UK - with £13.3 donated in Wales - which will go towards helping those caught up in the conflict access food, cash, water, shelter, medical assistance, protection and trauma care.

DEC Cymru Chair, Melanie Simmonds said: “Since we launched this appeal in March we’ve been inspired and humbled to see this outstanding wave of solidarity from the Welsh public towards the people of Ukraine. 

"We’ve seen such generous giving from families, schools, community groups, faith groups and individuals across the country, as well as the business, arts and cultural sectors.

"Thank you.

“With aid delivery now well underway, I’d also like to recognise the incredible contribution of the aid workers and volunteers in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. 

"So many are selflessly putting their needs aside to help others to cope with this devastating conflict.”

The appeal total includes £25 million in matched funding from the UK government, along with £4 million from the Welsh Government. 

In the first six months of what the DEC expects to be a three-year humanitarian  response site, the group is planning to spend the bulk of its funds (28 percent) on providing healthcare in Ukraine, as well as getting cash to people displaced by the war (23 percent).

Sixteen percent will go towards food projects.

One such project - run by local organisation DePaul Ukraine - has supplied regular food baskets to 21,000 people, each basket costing £10 and lasting five days.

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DePaul is using a team of cycle couriers to deliver food to elderly people, those with disabilities, and those who struggle to leave their homes - with 700 people having been reached in this way.

"The humanitarian crisis in this part of the city is huge," Father Vitaliy, from DePaul Ukraine, said.

"What I do see is that the poor people of Ukraine are now much poorer.

"In these three months we have been feeding more than 21,000 people from around Ukraine.

"We are focusing on those who are not able to move because of their physical health."

On the cycling scheme he said: "Love is inventive until infinity.

"We now have a big problem with petrol, but our work to distribute aid will never stop because of human energy - there are so many young people who want to help others and together they started this great initiative.

"One of the co-ordinators saw how her friend was paralysed and needed someone to bring him food.  Her friend offered to deliver food to him on his bicycle – it was 30 kilometres away – and an idea was born.  

“Today I was surprised to learn from the cycle group that they are now feeding more than 700 people.

"They have a list of disabled and elderly people, some of them who aren’t able stand up from their beds.

"Thank God there are less shootings here and less bombings now, but the humanitarian need is growing.

"Everything is destroyed, and people are coming to us asking for aid.” 

Aleksander, 50, an engineer-designer of radio equipment, now working as one of the project's cycle couriers, said: “I have a wife and two daughters – all of them except the youngest daughter were against escaping the city.

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"But after the first week of war, it became obvious that Kharkiv would not be left in peace, so I insisted on my family's evacuation.

"It was the hardest decision of my life. Saying goodbye to them at the train station felt unreal. Afterwards, I returned home and just lay on my bed, emotionless.  

“I want to be useful and to be an example to my kids for the future. As bicycle delivery volunteers, we are united by a common goal - to help. We live without making plans for the future.

"We simply wake up, make our deliveries, spend a couple of hours of free time, and repeat. We are alive, and that is enough to be happy.”  

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