Caritas Poland and Caritas-Spes Ukraine have been providing urgent humanitarian aid to the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing from the war in Ukraine since Russia attacked on Feb. 24.
TETIANA STAWNYCHY
President of Caritas Ukraine
“We have a situation of people who were fleeing from the fighting and they're all in transit. Most of them are in transit to the border. There are some people who are stopping at some point in western Ukraine and settling for a little while. But many people are going to the border. It's usually women and children, who are trying to get across.”
In a virtual press conference hosted by Caritas Internationalis, Fr. Vyacheslav Grynevych described the situation for people sheltering in Kyiv, saying they have small windows in which to go out to buy supplies.
FR. VYACHESLAV GRYNEVYCH
Executive Director of Caritas-Spes Ukraine
“That's about the situation in Kyiv. Also in my house we have 37 people, children generally, with mothers, and they have this safe place in our church, in our house. Generally these people come from our neighbors, and also they have dogs, they have birds, they have cats, so we have a small zoo.”
Meanwhile, in Poland, Caritas is working tirelessly to meet the needs of refugees heading toward the border. In the Diocese of Zamojsko-Lubaczowskiej, for instance, staff and volunteers are preparing sandwiches and collecting other food items.
The supplies are delivered to different border crossings, like this one in Budomierz.
And local governments and organizations are setting up temporary shelters in schools and other structures to offer some protection from the cold.
“There is a lack of everything for the refugees who are from this side of the border. On the Polish side there are fairly good supplies. Those on the other side of the border are most lacking... We already know that there is a shortage of bread in Lviv. In these neighboring towns, too, everything is needed: warm clothes, products for children, because we feel the most sorry for these children.”
Caritas is calling for humanitarian corridors to get supplies into Ukraine as the situation continues to develop.
It's a team effort of solidarity uniting NGOs, local and national governments, and individuals of goodwill, to help people fleeing from the conflict in Ukraine.
CT
Caritas Poland / Caritas Internationalis
