Watch another episode of TVP World’s Help Without Borders: a show dedicated to the refugees from Ukraine, to help you learn about their stories, the volunteers, charities, and organisations providing humanitarian assistance.
Over the past month, more than four million people have left Ukraine and 6.5 million had to resettle within the country, UN Deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya reported. Ukrainian authorities say that causing a humanitarian catastrophe is part of the Russian strategy.
Ukrainian authorities claim that Russians have no intention of abandoning their strategy and they deliberately seek to aggravate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine after the initial plan for blitz-war failed.
Dominika Chylewska, head of communications of Caritas Polska charity organisation, said that the solidarity of people all around Poland and Europe greatly helped NGOs that provide humanitarian aid.
“This solidarity amazed us from the very beginning and it shows that it is actually possible to help those people. I think it is the biggest challenge since WWII, especially for Poland,” Ms Chylewska said.
Caritas Polska has a large humanitarian aid centre in Warsaw and several smaller centres in several Polish cities. Apart from food and shelter they provide legal, psychological help as well as personal assistance to people in need. There are already tens of thousands of volunteers helping Ukrainians but more will be needed as local dioceses plan to open about 20 more aid centres.
7,300 tonnes of humanitarian aid sent to Ukraine
Ms Chylewska pointed out that Caritas Polska in cooperation with Caritas Ukraine provides help also to people in Ukraine. There are volunteers operating in Kyiv, Lviv and other Ukrainian cities. They help in the transportation and distribution of humanitarian aid.
“Nearly 500 trucks and vehicles with 7,300 tonnes of aid went to Ukraine. Apart from food, hygiene products, and medical goods, there are also power generators. Of course, there are places very difficult to reach but our job is to coordinate the help in all places where it is needed,” she said.
Caritas Polska appeals to donors to engage in the action “Package for Ukraine” by sending packages with food, medical supplies and clothes. The list of needed products is specified on the organisation’s website. Packages will be delivered to Caritas’ warehouses by a courier service and then distributed to Ukraine. Packages can also be brought to local parishes.
Global pledging event
The “Stand Up For Ukraine” global pledging event for refugees and internally displaced people will take place in Warsaw on April 9. It will be co-organised by Polish President Andrzej Duda, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau.
The aim of the campaign is to raise funding and other types of support to cater to the needs of internally displaced people in Ukraine and refugees. The campaign answers a call for support launched by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.