Supporting those affected by the crisis in Ukraine

Last updated: 20 March 2023

Our thoughts are with the people affected by the crisis in Ukraine and with all those impacted at such a difficult and worrying time.

We are committed to supporting humanitarian relief efforts through our partnerships with the Red Cross, food banks and other relief organisations.

Tesco does not have operations in Ukraine or Russia. Across our UK, ROI and Central Europe businesses we've already taken some initial steps to support people affected by the crisis:

• Thanks to the generosity of our customers and colleagues, together we have raised £8.5m to help the Red Cross get vital support to those affected by the crisis in Ukraine. Red Cross teams in Ukraine and the border countries are providing essential aid. In Ukraine, Ukrainian Red Cross volunteers are providing first aid, warm clothes, and support in shelters and metro stations. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are focusing on restoring water supplies, providing support to medical facilities, and providing food and shelter to those affected by the fighting.
• Our colleagues in Central Europe are working alongside the Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to help in very practical ways, donating food, clothing and hygiene items for refugees, as well as offering logistical support and helping to move supplies at the Ukrainian border. Our first donations of food, hygiene products and clothing left depots in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia just 48 hours after the conflict started. We have since provided over 1,000 pallets of food to humanitarian organisations operating in Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, with further deliveries scheduled.
• We are also supporting recent arrivals from Ukraine with hundreds of new job opportunities in our businesses in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, including language support at the application stage and local language training for successful applicants.
• In the UK and ROI, Tesco Mobile offered free calls and texts to Ukraine from March 2022 to March 2023, as well as free roaming in Ukraine during the same period. Customers using our international calling service were able to make free calls to Ukraine too. We also donated 600 phones and 1,200 pre-paid SIM cards to the British Red Cross, along with a further 1,700 pre-paid calling cards donated by Tesco International Calling – helping refugees arriving in the UK to keep in touch with family and friends.
• For anyone who needs to send money from the UK to Ukraine, Tesco Bank has removed all send fees, so customers can send money direct to a bank account for free using Moneygram at Tesco’s International Money Transfer service (in-store or online at Tesco.moneygram.com).

We're aware that many of our customers and colleagues want to help too. In the UK, customers can donate using their Clubcard vouchers to help support the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal.

Customers can also text 70141 to donate to the Crisis in Ukraine Appeal. 

*Only the British Red Cross Society is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. By texting you consent to future telephone & SMS marketing contact from British Red Cross. Text HELP5 NO, HELP10 NO, HELP20 NO, or HELP30 NO to give £5, £10, £20 or £30 without consenting to calls & texts. Texts cost £5, £10, £20 or £30 plus 1 standard message (British Red Cross will receive 100%). You must be 16+. The Ukraine Crisis Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis. In the unlikely event that we raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help the British Red Cross prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world. For full T&Cs visit redcross.org.uk/mobile. The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949), Scotland (SC037738), Isle of Man (0752) and Jersey (430).