Yuri Milner’s Tech For Refugees Partners With UNICEF USA to Improve Education for Children in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has led to devastation and turmoil throughout the country. Ukraine’s education sector has also suffered as a result of the war. Since February 2022, over 3,000 Ukrainian educational institutions have experienced damage or outright destruction.

To improve the educational situation for children in Ukraine, Yuri Milner’s non-profit Tech For Refugees has partnered with UNICEF USA. Yuri Milner, a co-founder of the Breakthrough Prize, is funding Tech For Refugees through his philanthropic organization the Breakthrough Foundation. He launched the Foundation in 2012 after making his Giving Pledge.

UNICEF USA’s Work in Ukraine

UNICEF has supported vulnerable children and families in Ukraine since the 1990s. The agency expanded its humanitarian work when conflict erupted in the country’s eastern region in 2014. As the war escalated last spring, UNICEF deployed a full crisis response.

UNICEF is still on the ground in Ukraine meeting urgent needs and providing children with access to a safe education. With UNICEF’s support, approximately 1.8 million children have been able to return to learning.

Thanks to UNICEF’s work with governments and other partners, Ukrainian refugees in 19 host countries are also receiving vital support services. 1.4 million Ukrainian refugee children have now accessed education (including early learning) in formal and non-formal settings.

Now, UNICEF USA’s partnership with Tech For Refugees will enhance the organization’s work to improve education for children in Ukraine.

Tech For Refugees Co-Founder Yuri Milner said: “UNICEF’S efforts for refugees worldwide are invaluable. Tech For Refugees will support their programs, helping to bring vital educational assistance to children affected by the war in Ukraine.”

Additional Tech For Refugees Partnerships

Since launching in April 2022, Tech For Refugees has announced programs with several partners to address the global refugee crisis. These partners are predominantly large tech companies like Spotify and Uber. However, Tech For Refugees has also partnered with non-profit organizations like Welcome.US and the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Financial support from Tech For Refugees will enable Welcome.US to scale up its new platform, Welcome Connect. Welcome Connect helps individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine connect with U.S. citizens who would like to sponsor a refugee.

In addition, Tech For Refugees’ multi-year commitment to the IRC will allow the IRC to expand its Signpost platform. Signpost is a tech-enabled “helpdesk” that offers information and support to refugees and internally displaced people.

Yuri Milner has called the collaboration an honor, adding that it involves developing “sophisticated technological tools” that will benefit millions of people.

Learn more about Tech For Refugees’ programs.

About Yuri Milner

Yuri Milner is an Israeli technology investor and philanthropist. He is widely known for founding DST Global, one of the world’s foremost internet technology investment companies. DST Global’s portfolio has included internet titans like Facebook and Twitter.

Yuri Milner is also a pledger to Warren Buffett and Melinda and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge. He and his wife Julia became Giving Pledge signatories in 2012. To fulfill their Giving Pledge commitment to donate a large portion of their wealth to philanthropic causes, the couple established the Breakthrough Foundation.

The Breakthrough Foundation funds several charitable projects, including the Breakthrough Prize. The Breakthrough Prize rewards major advances in scientific research and raises the profile of brilliant scientists. Known as the “Oscars of Science,” the annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony features a host of celebrities and inspires younger generations to engage with scientific ideas.