Aid agencies double their efforts in the face of a crisis in Ukraine

Polish RZESZOW (AP) — As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters the fourth week, aid agencies continue to intensify efforts to provide necessary necessities to civilians affected by the battle and the more than 3 million refugees who have escaped the country since the offensive began.

Rzeszow, the largest city in southeastern Poland, is located just 100 km (about 62 miles) from the Ukrainian border and has become a logistics hub for humanitarian aid in the region. Materials including food, blankets, sunlamps, warm clothes, mattresses, drums and plastic sheets continue to arrive by land and air in huge warehouses managed by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UN Refugee Agency) near the city's airport.

“What we have been doing is to bring more people to the country, help more, work with partners to make sure we can do effective things, and do everything we can to help,” said Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesperson for the agency.

According to Saltmarsh, last month, the UNHCR received “more than 300 million donations” from the private sector and delivered some of these supplies to Ukraine. Currently, it shipped 22 trucks and plans to take 10 trucks loaded with basic necessities soon to the city of Lviv, in western Ukraine, not far from the Polish border. Lviv has mostly spared destruction and has become the first destination for many people leaving the country.

Saltmarsh said that some of the aid brought to the city was discharged and distributed, but the rest were still waiting to develop when the security situation allowed them to reach the most affected areas, such as the port city of Mariupol. Having suffered a siege, the Russianattacks almost since the beginning of the war.

“Obviously, this is very worrying and is a great challenge for the humanitarian community,” the spokesperson added.

In addition, efforts are doubling to care for refugees, where almost half of refugees arriving in Poland and other border countries are children.

Salt Marsh said that those who arrived in neighboring countries are “more vulnerable (and in a more shocking state)” than those who did it at the beginning of the war.

Kateryna Horiachko, who fled in the immediate vicinity of the capital Kiev, said that the people there were “devastated”.

“They lost their homes, they lost everything they had, they lost their relatives... we don't have anything left to be refugees (something else).” When I arrived in Suceava, Romania on Thursday, Horiachko added.

Horiachko, who hopes to find a way to help them, said that her husband and parents are still in Ukraine.

“The economy of Ukraine is also broken, people do not have jobs or income, they need help,” he added.

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Eldar Emric, based in Suceava, Romania, contributed to this office.