Irishman Joe Lowry from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the Ukraine-Moldova border has asked those wishing to help Ukrainians to prioritise financial donations.
Mr Lowry said convoys of lorries with supplies, while welcome, faced difficulties including having diesel “sucked out” while queuing at borders and elsewhere.
He said donations to recognised agencies were among the fastest, most effective, form of help.
IOM, a UN agency which has been in Ukraine since 1996, is mobilising teams within Ukraine and neighbouring countries to respond to the growing humanitarian needs of people fleeing the country.
Donations to the IOM can be made at donate.iom.int.
Dr Georgina Jordan, working with Goal at the Hrebenne border crossing between Poland and Ukraine, also called for a priority on financial donations; "We are finding that the Irish public has been incredibly generous and making donations of goods, but what would really be better would be cash donations", she said.
Donations can be made to goalglobal.org/donate/.
The Irish Red Cross has said it has launched a crisis appeal for "countless" numbers of people in Ukraine whose lives were being torn apart by violence and insecurity. Displacement, trauma and separation from loved ones will have devastating consequences on the people of Ukraine, the charity said.
Donations may be made through redcross.ie.
Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children in Ukraine.
Donations can be made at unicef.ie.
UNHCR – the UN refugee agency – has stepped up operations and capacity in Ukraine and neighbouring countries in support of all affected people in the region.
Donations can be made to donate.unhcr.org.
Concern Worldwide has launched a Ukraine crisis appeal to help meet the immediate humanitarian needs of people affected by conflict.
Donations can be made through concern.net.
Together-Razem, which is also urging the public to only donate to reputable organisations, has set up an online donation page for medical supplies to assist displaced Ukrainians.
Donations may be given at donorbox.org.
Médecins Sans Frontières, referred to in English as Doctors Without Borders, is setting up emergency response activities in Ukraine and deploying teams in Belarus, Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, Russia and Slovakia.
Donations can be be made at msf.ie.
The charities regulator Helen Martin said she would like to remind anyone wishing to support the people of Ukraine “to ensure that any donations they are making are going to registered charities that have a track record of providing the kinds of practical supports and assistance that the Ukrainian people, and those who are supporting them, need at this time.”
* This is not intended as a listing of all registered charities operating in or for Ukraine
