Federer offers financial aid to school children in Ukraine

Bengaluru, March 19: Tennis great Roger Federer will be donating $500,000 through his foundation to ensure children affected by the war in Ukraine are provided with care and access to education.

It may be recalled that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) had said that nearly 3 million refugees (almost 7 per cent of the population) have fled Ukraine after the country's invasion by Russia on February 24, which has seen attack on schools, hospitals and buildings where people sought safety in various cities.

"My family and I are horrified seeing pictures from Ukraine and heartbroken for the innocent people who have been so terribly affected," Federer posted on his social media accounts.

"We stand for peace."

"We will provide assistance to children from Ukraine who need care, about 6 million Ukrainian children are currently out of school and we know it's a very critical time to provide access to education and would like to support them to deal with this extremely traumatic experience.

"Through the Roger Federer Foundation we will be supporting War Child Holland with a donation of $500'000 to establish access to continued schooling for Ukrainian children," added the 20-time Grand Slam winner.

Earlier, another former No. 1 tennis player -- three-time major champion Andy Murray -- had announced that he would "be donating my earnings from my prize money for the rest of the year" to humanitarian efforts aimed at helping children in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, 10 per cent of ticket revenue from next month's Billie Jean King Cup matches between Ukraine and the United States will go to a relief fund to help those affected by the invasion.

The best-of-five-match series will be held April 15-16 on an indoor hard court in Asheville, North Carolina. The winning country will advance to the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

United States Tennis Association's CEO for professional tennis Stacey Allaster said the event will be used to continue advocating for peace, along with providing aid and support for the people of Ukraine.

(With inputs from Agencies)