In light of the violent Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Eastern European countries are gearing up for a massive new refugee movement this winter. Recently, the number of refugees from Ukraine has increased by 15%, said Roman Dohovic, aid coordinator for the Slovak city of Kosice. According to an emergency plan, Slovakia is preparing to receive up to 700,000 refugees in three months from eastern and southern Ukraine.
According to the newspaper, under current conditions, a large number of internally displaced persons in Ukraine cannot be accommodated during the winter. There is also the risk of a further escalation of the war.
shelter and supplies
In other Eastern European countries such as Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, shelters are being reopened and relief supplies are being increased. “We stock up on hygiene and food items all the time,” said Witold Wolczyk, an official with the authorities in Przemysl, Poland. Although you currently have to accommodate comparatively few people, you are preparing for many new arrivals in winter.
In Hungary, the number of refugees arriving at the Zahony railway station, near the border, has increased tenfold since Russian attacks intensified, reports Zsofia Dobis-Lucski, spokeswoman for Hungarian Church Aid. Currently up to 500 people a day arrive in the city.
UNHCR: 4.5 million refugees
According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, around 4.5 million Ukrainian refugees have been registered in Europe since the start of the war. A fifth of them also returned to Ukraine, Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said after a visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv last week. Some of them are expected to flee again soon. The number of internally displaced people – people displaced from their homes in Ukraine – is estimated at 6.9 million. (apa, dpa)