Warsaw, 7 March 2022 (TDI): More than 1 million individuals have crossed from Ukraine into Poland since the Russian invasion began on February 24.
Poland, which shares a 310-mile border with Ukraine, has taken in the vast bulk of the 1.7 million people who have fled their homes since the conflict began, with humanitarian efforts mostly run by volunteers, NGOs, and local governments.
Poland has announced plans to establish up an 8 billion zloty (£1.34 billion) fund for individuals leaving Ukraine, with each refugee receiving a one-time payment of 300 zlotych (£50).
The Polish government intends to propose a package of help that will cover food and transitional shelters, as well as measures that would allow migrants to work legally and get public healthcare and social support.
On Sunday, Polish border guards cleared 142,300 migrants at border crossings, the largest in a single day since the conflict began, and 129,000 people on Saturday, according to data.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, praised Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki for Poland’s “kind welcome to refugees from Ukraine.”
“We agreed on concrete measures for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners to assist the government’s response to the crisis,” Grandi added.
Officials claim that the majority of those who have come to Poland have plans, but Grandi has cautioned that as the population grows, governments would be under pressure to accommodate them.
According to Dominika Chylewska, Head of Communications for Caritas Poland in Przemyl, “The majority of the folks we’re seeing require a place to stay for one or two days before continuing on to their next destination.”
“At the railway station, we’ve started handing out sleeping bags. Children require the use of prams. They’re freezing, and some have even come barefoot, but the majority have tiny bags,” She added.
Every day, their crews served 1,800 liters of soup at the railway station and sent 20,000 sandwiches to other border crossing locations, according to Chylewska.
However, she warned, psychological assistance would be required, particularly for youngsters.
