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This is what Ukrainians entering Poland are given by volunteers from around the world

John Haltiwanger   

This is what Ukrainians entering Poland are given by volunteers from around the world
International1 min read
  • Ukrainians fleeing the war are being met with a wave of assistance as they enter Poland.
  • They're being offered an array of free supplies and services: Pizza, water, medical care, SIM cards, strollers.

MEDYKA, Poland — Ukrainians entering Poland, fleeing an unprovoked war sparked by Russian President Vladimir Putin, are being met with a wave of assistance as they cross the border.

At the Medyka border crossing, Ukrainian refugees were greeted and helped by the Polish army as well as volunteers from across the world — England, France, Germany, the US and beyond. Some who've volunteered are with organizations like World Central Kitchen, but others are simply individuals or small groups of people who've traveled to the Ukraine-Poland border to lend a hand. Jan, a 23-year-old from Germany, who was volunteering at a train station in Przemysl, told Insider he wanted to help bring "hope and peace" to Ukrainians escaping the war.

Ukrainian refugees who entered Poland at Medyka were offered water, pizza, kielbasa, and more.

At border crossings and transit hubs across Poland, Ukrainians are being provided with free medical care, veterinary services, diapers, clothing, shoes, strollers, and SIM cards. In many cases, the food offered to Ukrainians was donated by local Poles who wanted to chip in. Ukrainians are also being offered free rides, either by bus or train, to cities across Poland and other parts of Europe.

Indeed, the war in Ukraine is just over two weeks old, but the effort to help Ukrainians coming into Poland is already in full swing and only appears to be growing. Many Ukrainians have waited up to 20 hours to cross into Poland, and have expressed gratitude at the warm welcome they've encountered.

Shortly after crossing the border in Medyka, Alyona, 33, from Kyiv told Insider she knows "the whole world supports us" as she held a steaming cup of tea.

"I never saw anything like this — the whole world supports us," Viktoria, 36, of Kharkiv told Insider at a shopping mall that's been transformed into a refugee transit center in Korczowa.

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