‘Bundle for Ukraine’ Raises Over £4,000,000 For Refugees
As Putin continues his one-man war, the brunt of the suffering falls onto the people of Ukraine. With entire parts of cities (such as Volnovakha) being decimated by Russian bombing runs, many have been forced to flee. In fact, over 2.5 million Ukrainians have already left their homeland in a desperate bid to save their families.
This tragedy has led to its own issues, however. With such an influx of people escaping the country, refugee camps have been flooded with the injured and hungry- with only limited medicine, food, and shelter to go around. This is why the swift donation and delivery of supplies is so important.
You may then be surprised to hear of one website that has managed to raise over $5.5 million (just over £4 million) for this cause-and it’s probably one you haven’t even heard of. itch.io is an online marketplace for video games. Unlike other platforms, itch focuses more on smaller, indie experiences, which would otherwise be lost in Steam’s sea of huge AAA games. Now, you may be wondering how so much money has been raised in less than a week. The answer lies in the hands of over 700 game makers.
Necrosoft Games, the host of the bundle, has reached out to 736 creators- who have all agreed to add their games to the bundle free of charge. This means all the proceeds for buying the bundle will go to charity. From these creators, there are almost 1,000 videogames included. The two chosen charities are International Medical Corps (which provides medical assistance for fleeing Ukrainians) and Voices of Children (which focuses on helping children cope with the PTSD and horror of having to uproot their lives so suddenly in a time of war). Necrosoft Games, and the other creator’s generosity, is what has allowed so much money to be raised:
The people of Ukraine are under attack. As game developers we want to create new worlds, not to destroy the one we have. That's why we've banded together to present this charity bundle to help Ukrainians survive this ordeal and thrive after the war ends.
If you were to buy all of these games individually, it would cost you well over £5,000, but the minimum donation is only a little over £8. Of course, Necrosoft Games are encouraging people to give as much as they can- with 100% being given to charity.
We kept the minimum low, but we highly urge you to pay above the minimum if you can afford to do so. All proceeds will be split between the charities 50/50.
With fantastic games like SkatBIRD, SUPERHOT, and A Short Hike, there is really no reason not to put down some money for this. Not only do you help contribute to charity- helping the lives of thousands, even with a small amount- but you also get so many DRM-free (meaning you keep them forever) experiences at a once in a lifetime price. Even if you can only put down the minimum donation, you are contributing to the aid of so many who are suffering. You have to be quick though- as the offer ends at midnight on March 17th.
This shows the impact that the gaming community can have in helping people in crisis. All over the globe, almost 400,000 people have contributed- which doesn’t even include the game creators- who have all allowed their hard work to be given away for free to help those in need. This act certainly shows the solidarity of game makers and players in the face of suffering. And I’m sure this won’t be the last example of such immense generosity seen any time soon.
As Necrosoft Games so aptly put it:
We stand with Ukrainians, and with all people around the world who despise war.
Sources:
https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine
https://itch.io/b/1316/bundle-for-ukraine
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/ukrainie-city-volnovakha-destroyed-no-longer-exists-russia-1514337
