WARSAW, Poland – The war in Ukraine continues and the amount of refugees fleeing Ukraine into nearby countries like Poland continues to climb. Our news team traveled to Warsaw, Poland to see first hand how the Polish people are stepping up to provide for the refugees.
In one Warsaw municipal building, the waiting room is full.
“So they have two types of clients here: one are the regular Polish citizens because this is just like a regular district office where they can either register their car and they can get their IDs here or take care of any other business that they have; and the second type of clients are the refugees,” said a Warsaw municipal spokesperson.
This city office has become a place where Ukrainian refugees get help with obtaining a Polish ID and enroll their kids in school. On the other side of the building is a makeshift humanitarian site. Polish workers bag groceries, toiletries, baby food and even have strollers for the Ukrainian refugees. All of these supplies have been donated by the locals and we’re told the donations keep coming in.
Officials said they can process about 80 refugees each day at this site but many more show up and are told to return the next day or they can come here.
Our news team stood outside Warsaw’s soccer stadium and as you can see, there’s a long line of Ukrainian refugees. They’re waiting to get their Polish IDs which would help them basically get any medical assistance as well as some cash while they’re staying here in Poland. We spoke with one woman who’s been waiting in line since early this morning.
Natalia is from a southern Ukrainian city. She fled her home on February 24th. She said she was very lucky to escape..
“There was helicopters with a red star that landed on the Ukrainian soil and when she was trying to escape the city she saw a lot of [inaudible] coming in and the army of Russia and they all were carrying the red flags of the Soviet Union,” said Natalia’s translator. ‘She said was she was horrified to see that.”
Natalia told us it took her seven days to get to Poland. Her friends helped her find an apartment but she’s waiting until the day she can return home, safely.
“She definitely hopes to go back home once she can because she dreams about a free and democratic country of Ukraine,” said Natalia’s translator.
You can tell how tired and exhausted the refugees are waiting to get their help. People like Natalia said they’re so thankful for the help they’re receiving.
