As Poland welcomes over 2 million refugees from Ukraine, IRC assessment finds people in need of work, shelter and cash

As the conflict in Ukraine forces four million refugees to flee their homes in little over a month, the IRC has carried out a humanitarian needs assessment in four major refugee-hosting cities in Poland, which is now hosting almost 2.5 million people.

Spanning, Warsaw, Lublin, Krakow, and Wrocław, IRC teams surveyed 520 refugees who have fled the conflict and are currently settling in Poland. Nearly all of the respondents – 93% – were women, many of whom have left family members behind in Ukraine.

Of those surveyed, 70% expressed concern about finding work as many have had their source of income from employment abruptly stopped because of the conflict, and have children or elderly relatives to care for. Meanwhile, 43% reported the need for shelter as a major concern; almost half of the respondents spent the previous night in the home of friends, family, or volunteers, while 32% stayed in some form of government- or community-run shelter. Finally, the most commonly-noted need was money, which would enable families to pay for accommodation, food, and other essential supplies.

Harlem Desir, IRC Senior Vice President for Europe, said, “From the IRC’s assessment, it is clear that those who have fled Ukraine are living in a state of emergency. The fear of not being able to provide for your children or put a roof over their heads is beyond harrowing. We are at the beginning of a long road to providing a robust welcome to those who have fled the conflict in Ukraine. The Polish government and civil society have done a thorough job of providing Ukrainian refugees with access to work, immediate shelter, and provisions to help meet their basic needs. States across Europe have responded to rapidly growing protection needs in a spirit of responsibility-sharing, made clear commitments to receive and protect refugees, and made funds available to receive people and meet their urgent needs. The Commission has acted with remarkable speed in coordinating this response. These expressions of intra-EU solidarity must continue, and countries neighboring Ukraine need to make full use of this support. The only way forward is by mobilizing a pan-European solidarity response.”

From the IRC’s wealth of experience in the integration of refugees across Europe, IRC knows how crucial these early days are to ensure Poland is supported to welcome the huge numbers of refugees. Systems must be equipped to absorb families into their schools, hospitals, and labor market. Almost half of the people the IRC surveyed noted that they had a family member with them with current health needs, ranging from physical disabilities to pregnancy. If Poland becomes overwhelmed then the world could start to see some people missing out on urgently needed healthcare. Meanwhile, a lack of sustainable shelter or cash could lead to families being forced to turn to extreme measures of survival or being exposed to exploitation and abuse.

“The IRC is working with the Polish government and local organizations to deliver urgently needed support across those areas identified in our assessment. Our teams are scaling up cash support for families in Poland to allow them to purchase what they need most, as well as supporting the training of social workers who can provide trauma counseling, and improving the infrastructure in shelters. This is the first step towards providing a sustained welcome to people who have fled the conflict in Ukraine, and we will stay as long as we are needed.”