In Poland we have managed to find homes for around 5,000 people and a dozen or so four-legged friends. Now, due to new needs, we are helping to find safe homes at the premises of our neighbours in the EU.
What has our work been like on this ‘front line’ in recent weeks? On the first day of the war, we set up a helpline and an online google-form to collect applications from refugees seeking asylum and those willing to offer it. Thanks to the enormous dedication of our volunteers, we helped to house around 5,000 war victims in Polish homes.
However, the situation changed quickly. In Warsaw, three weeks after the outbreak of war, there was a shortage of flats. It is now becoming increasingly difficult to find accommodation for those fleeing the war in Poland.
In an effort to respond to these new needs, in cooperation with foreign foundations, we have launched a programme to relocate Ukrainian refugees from Poland to other EU countries. We have already supported about 2000 refugees in this way. And we are just getting started… You can find us, among others, at the newly established reception point at the East Warsaw railway station, created by the Polish Centre for International Aid (PCPM), thanks to funding from the NRC – Norwegian Refugee Council and in cooperation with the city of Warsaw. We are the only operator there offering relocation. The absolute majority of the people we help are women with children. It is for them that we offer safe shelters to choose from in a dozen or so different locations. Importantly, our partners abroad guarantee safe shelter in private homes, not in dormitories or halls. And thanks to the generosity of the Why Not TRAVEL Group, refugees can count on free flights.
We continue to help. Today we are all Ukrainians!
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