Amid rising needs of vulnerable Ukrainian refugees arriving to Poland, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has scaled up its activities in the country to provide aid as Poland continues to be the main country of arrival for Ukrainian refugees. More than 3.5 million have entered the country since the beginning of the war on 24 February. 

Speaking from Warsaw at a news briefing at the United Nations in Geneva, UNHCR’s spokesperson Olga Sarrado said that “newly arrived refugees often come from areas heavily affected by the fighting, some having spent weeks hiding in bomb shelters and basements”. She added that “they often arrive in a state of distress and anxiety, having left family members behind, without a clear plan for where to go, and with less economic resources and connections than those who fled earlier”. 

Noting that “the pace of arrivals has slowed down in comparison to early March, when over 100,000 people were arriving per day, to around 20,000 daily in the course of May”, Olga Sarrado said that “we have also seen more ‘pendular’ movements, where people go back and forth across the border to Ukraine for various reasons, including visiting families, checking their properties or returning to their jobs”.

Health services and medical needs are the main queries UNHCR staff receive from refugees. Other requests concern transportation, financial support, psychosocial needs, accommodation and access to social services, including for people with disabilities and older people.

UNHCR estimates that roughly “about 50 per cent of them would like to stay in Poland”. According to Olga Sarrado “the Polish authorities were mentioning as well that in between 1.5 to 2 million would be staying in their country.”

Given the large internal displacement due to the massive destruction and the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, Poland expects to continue receiving large numbers of refugees.

Poland has put in place systems to ensure legal stay, access to employment, education, health care and other social welfare schemes for Ukrainian refugees.

“Over 1.1 million have registered with the Polish authorities, meaning they have received a state ID number (called PESEL), which gives them access to the services; 94 per cent of those registered are women and children”, said Ms. Sarrado.

UNHCR rolled out its cash assistance programme in March. As of today, UNHCR has established eight cash enrollment centres in the main refugee hosting areas, including Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw, Ostroda, Gdynia and Gdansk. Over 100,000 refugees from Ukraine have already received financial support from UNHCR to cover their basic needs, such as paying rent or buying food and medicine.

According to UNHCR’s Ms Sarrado, “almost 20 per cent of those refugees that enrolled for cash assistance have specific needs.” She added that ”aid is provided to serious medical cases, older people, single mothers without family support, women at risk and people with disabilities and half of the children with specific needs are separated or unaccompanied.”

Cash is provided for a three-month period to those most in need until they can better support themselves or be included in government social protection systems.

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1. Exterior medium shot, United Nations flag alley, a sunny day.
2. Medium shot, participants typing on laptops in the foreground with TV screen showing speaker delivering the speech in the background.
3. SOUNDBITE (English): Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson (from Poland): “The pace of arrivals has slowed down in comparison to early March, when over 100,000 people were arriving per day, to around 20,000 daily in the course of May.”
4. Close-up, TV screen showing the speaker is delivering the speech.
5. SOUNDBITE (English): Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson (from Poland): “We have also seen more ‘pendular’ movements, where people go back and forth across the border to Ukraine for various reasons, including visiting families, checking their properties or returning to their jobs.”
6. Close-up, fingers typing on the laptop.
7. SOUNDBITE (English): Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson (from Poland): “Our estimates, because of the interviews that we are doing in border monitoring, roughly say that about 50 per cent of them would like to stay in Poland. And actually, yesterday the Polish authorities were mentioning as well that in between 1.5 to 2 million would be staying in their country.”
8. Close-up, fingers typing on the laptop.
9. SOUNDBITE (English): Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson (from Poland): “Newly arrived refugees often come from areas heavily affected by the fighting, some having spent weeks hiding in bomb shelters and basements. They often arrive in a state of distress and anxiety, having left family members behind, without a clear plan on where to go, and with less economic resources and connections than those who fled before.”
10. Close-up, participants, blurred, with TV screen showing Olga Sarrado delivering remote message to rear.
11. SOUNDBITE (English): Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson (from Poland): “Over 1.1 million have registered with the Polish authorities, meaning, they have received a state ID number (called PESEL), which gives them access to the services; 94 per cent of those registered are women and children.”
12. Medium shot, two participants, seated, following the press conference.
13. SOUNDBITE (English): Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson (from Poland): “Almost 20 per cent of those refugees that enrolled for cash assistance have specific needs. Aid is provided to serious medical cases, older people, single mothers without family support, women at risk and people with disabilities and half of the children with specific needs are separated or unaccompanied.”
14. Medium shot, two participants in front of their laptops, with TV screen showing speaker to rear.
15. Close-up, participant with TV screen showing speaker delivering the speech to rear.
16. Medium shot, participants seated, a journalist is holding a microphone and asking questions.
17. Close-up, participants listening.
18. Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying, a sunny day.