Ukraine crisis: UN agencies support rising tide of refugees |
More than half went west to Poland, according to a new source UNHCR active data port it’s tracking incoming refugees in neighboring countries.
Others have found shelter in Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and more. Nearly 43,000 people have also moved to the Russian Federation.
Decided to leave
As the conflict intensified, families fled Ukraine by any means possible. Some have had to walk long distances in freezing temperatures, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported.
Tania, from the city of Chernivtsi, located in western Ukraine near the border with Romania, had to make a quick decision to leave home with her family.
She escaped with her sister Sophia, 19, and daughter Mia, 2, just days after Russia launched its military offensive on February 24.
“The decision is made in an instant, because the situation in Ukraine is very difficult and you don’t know what will happen in the next minute,” he said. she told UNICEF.
Round-the-clock support
United Nations agencies are working around the clock to assist displaced Ukrainians across the western border, half of whom are children.
UNHCR has been present in the region for many years and coordinator refugee response alongside UN agencies and sister partners, with the support of national authorities.
In Poland, for example, staff are assisting the authorities in registering refugees and providing them with accommodation and support.
UNICEF says families on the go need basic necessities like shelter, food and water, while children traumatized by the violence they witness also need physical care. Psychosocial.
Agency personnel are present at the Palanca crossing point on the border between Moldova and Ukraine, where a temporary refugee center has been established.
The team delivered tons of much-needed basic hygiene products, such as disinfectants, diapers and wipes.
Safe space for family
UNICEF is establishing ‘Blue Dot’ safe spaces at border points and other key sites in host countries to assist in providing emergency services to families.
These centers were crucial during the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe in 2015-2016.
Blue Dot centers offer a wide range of services, including safe spaces for mothers and children, psychosocial support, basic legal advice, recreation kits and hygiene products .
Unaccompanied and segregated children can also be helped and there are places where boys and girls can play.
Disaster at home
Yaroslav, 9, and his mother, Vica, plan to visit Romania after traveling for a few days from their hometown, Kherson, in southern Ukraine.
“Our family is there. All the time they are sheltering. It was a disaster,” said Vica. “We have some friends in Europe, maybe we can go there, we don’t know. Maybe Spain, but I’m not sure right now”.
Vica talked to friends who had stayed in Kherson. “All the kids there were scared to death, hiding in the bathroom, in the shelter, in the basement,” she said.
Enhanced feedback
The UN has launched a $1.7 billion appeal to provide urgently needed assistance in Ukraine and to assist refugees and neighboring countries receiving them.
It is estimated that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while more than four million refugees may need protection and assistance in the coming months.
“This is the darkest hour for the Ukrainian people,” speak Martin Griffiths, UN Head of Humanitarian Affairs.
“We need to step up our response now to protect the lives and dignity of ordinary Ukrainians. We must respond with compassion and solidarity.”