Toyota to donate €2.5m to support Ukraine and has set up fund to support employees

Toyota has announced that it will donate approximately €2.5 million (£2.1m) to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

The money comes in the form of a €500,000 (£420k) donation to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), as well as up to €2m (£1.68m) from matching European employees’ donations to the corporate fund, Red Cross and UNHCR.

Employees are also providing support in the form of temporary housing and language interpretation for refugees. To enable this, the firm is providing up to 40 paid hours per member to participate in these volunteer programs.

Toyota also says it is providing support to the more than 1,700 Ukrainian employees working in its European entities, mainly in countries bordering the war-torn nation.

Affected employees have been provided transport, shelter and access to medical services, as well as administrative support to families forced to flee Ukraine.

A separate Humanitarian Fund has been set up to provide relocation support, including accommodation and meals, for Ukrainian employees and their families.

The automotive industry has been reacting to the war in Ukraine, with numerous manufacturers cutting ties with Russia in response to its invasion. Many have announced plans to temporarily stop selling cars in the country, with Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover among the first.

Production has also been hit in some countries. For example, the Mini Plant Oxford closed on Monday ‘as a result of the ongoing parts supply situation, now including the conflict in Ukraine’.

This was supposed to end on Friday, March 11, but has now been extended until March 18.