In the war between Russia and Ukraine, waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin, no one should stand on his way.
In the collateral damage that follows, Ukraine needs a lot of efforts, time and also money to rebuild what's lost and destroyed.
Six weeks after an invasion by Russia, millions of refugees have fled Ukraine, while those remaining face dire needs in terms of basic supplies and shelter.
This is why Ukraine needs all the help it can get.
And this time, the creator of the popular online game Fortnite, managed to raise around $144 million to help Ukraine.
Our deepest thanks to everyone who joined us in supporting humanitarian relief efforts for people affected by the war in Ukraine.
Together with the Fortnite community and @Xbox, we raised $144 million USD for @DirectRelief @UNICEF, @WFP, @Refugees and @WCKitchen. pic.twitter.com/lPAa8lmfJn— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) April 4, 2022
"Our deepest thanks to everyone who joined us in supporting humanitarian relief efforts for people affected by the war in Ukraine," the company said.
It's worth noting that the fundraising effort by Epic Games is through its collaboration with Microsoft’s Xbox.
Out of the $144 million, $36 million was brought in at the first day alone.
The fundraising effort came some time after a number of tech companies (and many other companies in various other industries) withdrew from Russia as a response to the invasion.
The news was confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov in a Telegram post.
"VP Epic Games sent all proceeds from the game Fortnite, received from March 20 to April 3, to the humanitarian support of Ukrainians. Thank you! We managed to raise $144 million," Fedorov wrote.
He also noted that all the funds were distributed among the following organizations: Direct Relief, UNICEF, the UN World Food Program, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Central Kitchen.
