“Poland remains the main destination country for refugees from Ukraine” UNHCR Spokesperson Olga Sarrado told journalists at a regular press conference in Geneva.
And while the pace has slowed since early March – when more than 100,000 people arrived each day – May continued to see around 20,000 daily arrivals.
Vulnerable refugees
Despite an increasing number of people crossing the Ukrainian border – for reasons including visiting family or returning to work – Ms. Sarrado said that with the ongoing hostilities, “Poland hopes to continue receive and host a significant number of refugees.”
“The newly arrived refugees often come from areas hard hit by the fighting, some spending weeks hiding in bomb shelters and basements.“She updates the press.
“They often arrive in a state of distress and anxiety, leaving family members behind, without a clear plan of where to go, and with fewer economic and relationship resources than those who have left. hid before”.
Need service
Along with questions about transportation, financial assistance, accommodation and access to social services, the main concerns of refugees revolve around medical services and medical needs.
A spokesman for UNHCR said: “Poland has adopted systems to ensure legal residency, access to employment, education, health care and other social welfare programs for refugees. Ukrainian disaster.
Polish authorities have registered more than 1.1 million people, 94% of whom are women and children, providing them with state ID numbers to be able to access services.
Multidisciplinary response
Supporting the government-led efforts, UNHCR is supporting protective services, cash assistance, emergency supplies, and reception capacity.
Ms. Sarrado said: “UNHCR launched its cash assistance program in March and added that to date, it has established eight cash enrollment centers in intake areas. major refugees, including Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw, Ostroda, Gdynia and Gdansk.
“More than 100,000 refugees from Ukraine have received financial assistance from UNHCR to cover their basic needssuch as paying rent or buying food and medicine”.
Cash provided for three months to those most in need – acting as a transitional emergency safety net – until they can better support themselves or are included in the social protection system government association.
“Nearly 20 per cent of the refugees applying for cash assistance have specific needs,” she explains.
Provide safety
In conjunction with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UNHCR has set 12 Green dot safe space in Poland, where refugees can receive immediate psychosocial support and access to information about rights and services.
Important protective support is also provided to those with specific needs, including referrals to specialized services and legal advice.
Meanwhile, UNHCR continues to transport humanitarian goods from Poland to Ukraine, and to date, has sent 139 aid trucks to help people affected by the conflict and internally displaced.
“The Polish people and authorities have shown extraordinary generosity in welcoming refugees from Ukraine,” Ms. Sarrado said. “Strong commitment and support from the international community will be key to maintaining this solidarity.”
Response plan
UNHCR stands ready to continue to assist the Polish authorities in ensuring that the needs of refugees are protected, dignified and able to move to sustainable solutions.
To support the Government-led response, UNHCR coordinated the development of a Inter-agency Regional Refugee Response Plan gathers 87 partners in Poland.
Calling for $740.6 million to cover Polish priority needs, a UNHCR spokesperson informed journalists that the plan was only 25% funded.
