International reporting
Poland continues to host thousands of Ukrainian refugees
Audio 02:25
Refugees rest at a sports center in Hrubieszowski, Poland, March 21, 2022. (Illustrative Image) Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS - Jakub Orzechowski/AGENCJA WYBORC
By: Sarah Bakaloglou Follow
3 mins
In Poland, more than 2,100,000 refugees from Ukraine have now arrived in the country, fleeing the Russian invasion.
President Andrzej Duda called on the international community to help Poland manage this influx of refugees.
A massive surge of solidarity has been set up, in particular on the part of the Poles who welcome refugees into their homes, civil society, local authorities and religious institutions.
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From our correspondent in Poland,
The Przemysl monastery on the Polish-Ukrainian border has been housing refugees since the start of the Russian invasion.
In this imposing building, the laughter of three children echoes in the usually calm corridors.
They have just arrived in Poland with their mother, from the town of Chernihiv where for weeks the family lived in a shelter without gas or electricity, in freezing temperatures.
So Oksanna Niekrasowa, 33, watches with emotion as her children aged 7, 3 and 1 year and 6 months have fun again.
“
My 3-year-old daughter Polina was the one who was the most scared, she got on all fours, she was shaking, she didn't want to leave me.
She was very afraid of explosions and gunshots.
We explained to him that if we heard a sound like this: we had to hide.
But if it was that sound, then it was our soldiers who were shooting.
»
Little Polina marvels at the sun at her window.
His mother explains that their underground shelter was very dark, lit only by a few candles.
The family will spend the night in this monastery, where 85 nuns live.
Some survived World War II and therefore cannot go directly to the border to help, due to their age, says Sister Oksanna.
This Ukrainian nun has been living there for two years.
Finding peace is hard
“
I watch the news all the time.
I can't believe what is happening, this suffering.
To be honest, the first two weeks I didn't pray: first because I didn't have the time, but also because I didn't have the strength, it was too painful.
»
Hosted families stay on average between one and three nights.
According to the nun, finding peace will be very difficult for these refugees.
“
On the first day, these refugees are tired and scared.
They prefer to remain silent.
We don't ask them, they need to sleep and rest.
On the 2nd and 3rd day, they begin to smile, are calmer.
But they have reactions to certain noises, because of air alerts and sirens in Ukraine.
»
According to the nun, the majority of refugees say they want to return to Ukraine as soon as the war ends, even if their houses are in ruins.
This Ukrainian salutes the solidarity of Poles who have opened their hearts and the doors of their homes to refugees.
“
But for how much longer?”
she wonders.
All of our daily, live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
© FMM Graphic Studio
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Poland
Ukraine
Refugees