A global volunteer effort is in force at the Polish-Ukrainian border
When Ana Kompaniya arrived in the small Polish border town of Medyka last week, she was greeted by an Italian man playing the piano for newly arrived refugees.
When Ana Kompaniya arrived in the small Polish border town of Medyka last week, she was greeted by an Italian man playing the piano for newly arrived refugees from Ukraine.
The sound of the music was a relief. It had taken Kompaniya, as well as her two children, two grandmothers, and sister, five days to reach the safety of Poland, where a local family offered her family accommodation.
She returned to the Polish-Ukrainian crossing at the weekend to play music for other refugees. The son of the Polish family she is staying with accompanied her on the guitar. “I asked, and he said: ‘yes’.”
Ukraine’s struggle against Russian violence and the mass displacement of Ukrainians from their homes has inspired people around the world to give their money and their time to help.
At the Medyka border crossing, NGOs, religious groups, and volunteer groups from across the world, have gathered over the last week to offer help to those fleeing violence in Ukraine.
Sebastian Roemisch drove 10 hours from Dresden with food and supplies for refugees.
Along with four others, has arranged accommodation for twelve people in the German city.
He’s proud of Germany’s response to the refugee crisis.
“It was terrible to see the invasion, Putin is insane,” says Roemisch.
Waiting at the Medyka border crossing with a “JW.org” sign is Samuel, a Jehovah’s Witness who lives not far from Medyka.
He is waiting for a Ukrainian group of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which his community in Poland has been liaising with to provide support and accommodation.
A small army of mostly Polish volunteers has also been helping to sort the huge volume of donations of clothes, food, and supplies that have been arriving at Medyka from across the world.
A local school near the border crossing has been used as a drop-off point for donations including some from Ireland.
The school’s hall is full of nappies, baby formula and canned goods as volunteers attempt to organise the items.
Many NGOs have encouraged the public to provide cash donations to reduce the huge man operation that is required to sort through donated items and effectively use them.
In a statement issued last week, the Irish Red Cross said: “Unsolicited or unwanted aid, especially containers, can clog up logistic chains and can have a detrimental effect on the effectiveness and efficiency of relief operations.”
“Providing cash contributions to organisations like the Red Cross or other organisations responding to the crisis in Ukraine allows the Red Cross to source solicited standardised emergency relief goods locally.
"This system means everyone in the affected communities gets the same, high-quality items.”
Fernand Cohen-Tannoudji is providing first aid at the Medyka crossing along with other volunteers from Rescuers without Border, an Israeli NGO.
He says the Ukrainians — mostly women and children — have typically arrived by bus or car and have required limited medical care.
In contrast, African and Nepalese students have been arriving from Ukraine at Medyka often after walking for several days through forests in very poor weather conditions.
“Many had broken legs, thermal injuries, and other infections,” says Cohen-Tannoudji.
At the weekend, the Danish minister for development, Flemming Møller Mortensen, made a visit to the Medyka crossing, along with a team from the Danish Refugee Council.
He spoke with representatives from the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, about conditions for the Ukrainian refugees.
Less than a year ago, the Danish government was the first EU country to direct that Syrian refugees should be returned to Syria, despite the ongoing threat of violence there.
Møller Mortensen refused to respond to a question from the about Denmark’s divergent policies in relation to Syrian and Ukrainian refugees.
At the Medyka crossing, some volunteers are travelling back into Ukraine to provide supplies to the Ukrainian military.
“We are taking radios to the Ukrainian army in Lviv,” says Tomek, who is travelling to the Ukrainian city with three other Polish men.
Radio devices are crucial for communication if phone networks are targeted by the Russian army.
“The Ukrainian forces also need body armour, goggles, and equipment like that,” adds Tomek.
The Polish men have also been helping Ukrainian families who have recently arrived in Poland. One family who is now staying in Krakow said they hoped that they would only have to stay a week.
“That’s not realistic though, they were from East Ukraine,” says Jasiek, one of the Polish men travelling to Lviv.
“I just hope that they will have a place to go back to.”
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