The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine has been going on since 2014. The local people are forced to leave their homes in search of safe shelter in other parts of the country. Humanitarian aid must be provided not only for those who have fled, but also for those who are hosting the refugees.

People fleeing from war are forced to abandon their previous lives – they are jobless and penniless. They lack the bare essentials (food, warm clothes). One of the most vulnerable groups is children, for whom war is a traumatic experience. They need counselling and new opportunities for their education and development. Also vulnerable are elderly people, who are not able to look after themselves and satisfy their own needs in such difficult conditions.

WHAT DOES THE POLISH HUMANITARIAN ACTION DO?

In Ukraine, we provide aid to satisfy most basic needs. We have been operating in Ukraine since 2014, and in 2015 we established a permanent mission there. Our earliest activities were an immediate response to the crisis: we helped provide medical assistance and we delivered food baskets, hygiene kits, blankets, sleeping bags and other bare necessities.

Our top priority is to lend support to the most vulnerable groups: elderly people, women, and children. We are able to reach them thanks to our co-operation with local partners.

At the moment we provide consultations both at our information center and during outreach field visits. We provide lawyer counseling, social counseling, career mentoring, vocational courses, open meetings on entrepreneurship and psychological consultation.

We are involved in long-term programmesintended to provide financial support for people in the greatest need. Monthly subsidies help these families buy food, warm clothes and other bare essentials which are best suited to their individual needs.

Moreover, we renovate water and sanitation infrastructure in public places (mostly children or seniors-related like hospitals or schools).

Regarding the escalation of the war in Ukraine after February 24, 2022, you can read about the actions taken by the Polish Humanitarian Action here.