The International Football Federation, FIFA, announced on Saturday that it has donated a million U.S. dollars (€900,000) to help victims of the war in Ukraine.
In addition to financial aid, a package of humanitarian goods was also sent to the Ukrainian football federation, Belga News Agency reports.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the support was meant for people in Ukraine as well as Ukrainians who have fled to other countries. The organisation had previously come under harsh criticism for failing to take strong or swift action on Russia competing in international competitions.
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This even led to Scotland saying that it would forfeit its scheduled match against Ukraine in an act of solidarity with the team unable to train. FIFA has often been rebuked for failing to take a tougher stance on the human rights abuses of nations hosting competitions, notably in Qatar which is due to host the World Cup later this year.
The Belgian Football Federation has called on the hosts to set up welfare centres for the migrant workers helping to build the stadiums, many of whom work in poor conditions with few protections.
