A student from Kyushu University, who participated in an activity to support Ukrainian people who fled to Poland as Russia's military invasion continued, spoke to NHK about the situation.
The interviewee was Mr. Soma Kudo (21), a 4th year student at the Faculty of Co-creation, Kyushu University, who is currently studying abroad at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.
On the 14th of this month, Mr. Kudo and four students from the University of Bristol entered Przemysl, a town in southeastern Poland, about 10 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
Regarding the situation at the site when he arrived, Mr. Kudo said, "I felt that a war was happening with the impression that the air suddenly changed to heavy air. I can clearly see that people were crying and had a hard experience. It was hard for me to have people, "he recalled.
Mr. Kudo and his colleagues engaged in activities such as preparing meals at a support facility for evacuees.
At that time, I saw many people with babies and young children.
In addition, some people at the facility had not decided on a country to evacuate, and they were at a loss.
Mr. Kudo participated in the support activities this time because he had a Ukrainian friend who was also studying abroad at the university where he was studying abroad, and he heard the plight directly.
Mr. Kudo said, "I was working with the hope that the day when the war was over and everyone could return home safely and return to their original lives would come as soon as possible. Japan is geographically far from Ukraine, so it is sensuous. I think it's far away, but I want people to know the reality. "
Mr. Kudo has already returned to the UK after four days of activities, but "I want each person to volunteer and donate, thinking about what they can do. I want to do it myself from now on." I was talking.