Russian forces have continued their assault into Ukraine, pounding major cities with artillery and missile fire. Over an estimated thousand civilians have died in the fighting and over 2 million have fled to neighboring countries, causing a growing humanitarian crisis.
It's up to everyone to help come to the Ukrainian people's aid, and Square Enix is setting an example by donating half a million dollars to the UN's refugee agency. The move was announced on Square Enix's official Twitter account alongside an internal fundraiser for several more charities working to help refugees in and around Ukraine.
"Square Enix Group today announced the donation of $500,000 to The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in order to provide humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people who are seeking refuge in neighboring regions," wrote Square Enix. "In addition, our Square Enix group companies have launched an employee fundraiser and matching gift program to benefit the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Doctors Without Borders.
"We sincerely hope that peace will be restored and that those affected by the crisis will regain peaceful life as quickly as possible."
Square Enix isn't alone in sending help to Ukraine. Bandai Namco recently donated $850,000 to help save children caught in the Russian invasion. Itch.io has raised well over $5 million with its Bundle for Ukraine, which provides over $6,000 in games, books, soundtracks, and more for the low price of $10 (or more, if you want to give more). Legendary Doom co-creator John Romero raised $25,000 for Ukrainian charities by creating a new Doom 2 level, and The Pokemon Company made a contribution of $200,000 to GlobalGiving, a non-profit organization that collections and distributes donations for children affected the crisis.
Meanwhile, multiple game companies have pulled out of Russia in order to avoid international sanctions. Those companies include Take-Two, Ubisoft, Epic, Nintendo, EA, Microsoft, and CD Projekt, among many others. Unfortunately, economic sanctions have thus far failed to stop Russia’s invasion, and with each day the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine grows.