JK Rowling pledges to match donations up to $1.8m in support of children in Ukraine

JK Rowling has pledged to personally match donations up to £1 million (S$1.8 million) in support of children in Ukraine.

The Harry Potter author is seeking to help young Ukrainians through her Lumos Foundation, which launched an emergency appeal after Russia's recent invasion of the country.

The 56-year-old writer explained on Twitter: "I will personally match donations to this appeal, up to £1m.

"Thank you so, so much to all who've already donated, you're enabling @lumos to do crucial work for some of the most vulnerable children in Ukraine."

The author created the foundation in 2005 and it's currently raising money to help some of the most vulnerable people affected by the war in Ukraine.

The charity warned that children in the country are facing "an uncertain future".

JK threw her support behind the cause shortly after Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds announced plans to provide financial support for Ukrainian refugees.

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Blake, 34, and Ryan, 45, revealed plans to match up to US$1 million (S$1.4 million) in donations to the United Nations Refugee Agency, in support of Ukrainian refugees.

A post on the UN Refugee Agency Twitter page explained: "Right now, the crisis in Ukraine is forcing families to flee their homes.

"Please make a donation today to send lifesaving aid to displaced Ukrainians, and @VancityReynolds and @blakelively will match your gift $1 for $1 up to $1 million."

Ryan - who married Blake in 2012 - subsequently took to the micro-blogging platform to reaffirm his support for the refugees, noting that they "need protection".

He wrote: "In 48 hours, countless Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes to neighbouring countries. They need protection. When you donate, we'll match it up to $1,000,000, creating double the support."