What a whirlwind 4 days it’s been! Empact’s Pathfinders team has been very busy learning the “ground truth” about the #UkraineCrisis that will allow our work here to be a success. Not only has your team made it into every major reception center at the primary border crossings, but half of our team also made it into Ukraine proper to evaluate the living conditions in the cities there, evacuation corridors for wounded civilians, and the status of border crossings.
#Lviv is a city prepared for war. There is an unbelievable security presence and it was rare for our pair to go more than 4 or 5 blocks without being stopped at a checkpoint. While the soldiers, police officers, territorial guards, and civilians manning these checkpoints are polite, professional, and courteous, they are deadly serious and one gets the sense that they are prepared for anything, anytime. Ukrainians have much to be proud of right now.
The lines at the border crossings are long and becoming longer, despite the best efforts of the Polish Border Agency’s guards who are working under an extreme workload. The nation of Poland is absolutely rising to the challenge of this crisis, which has become the largest and most rapid outflow of refugees since World War II, with more than a million people already in #Poland and more than 100,000 crossing into Poland every 24 hours. Like their Ukrainian counterparts, Poles have much to be proud of. The people of this nation are pouring out everything they have to help their neighbors, donating their time, their money, their homes, and anything else they can to help those in need.
Your team has observed the checkpoints, seen the reception centers, and visited the affected nation, now it’s time to put all this to work. In the coming days, weeks, and months, we’ll be coordinating the influx of #volunteers, #medical and otherwise, to serve those trapped, those who have fled, and those who are stuck between. We are proud to be a part of the world’s response to this crisis as we work directly with the Polish government, the #WHO, the United Nations, and our partner NGO’s.
Now is the time when we must all come together to #standwithukraine and serve those most in need, but we can’t do it without you! Our supporters have an essential role to play in this response. Please donate to support this mission. This crisis will last for months, if not longer and we will need all of the support we can find.
Thank you!Team #Ukraine
Your Empact team has made it into Poland and has started the process of setting up long term relief operations for refugees from the Ukraine refugee crisis. Today our advance team of four traveled from Warsaw to Krakow after securing vehicles and once in Krakow, we got in touch with our invaluable interpreter Yaryna. Meanwhile, the other half of our team was able to connect with the United States Army in Rzeszow. The US Army is currently supporting NGO operations through coordination and our team will be joining them in the morning for a Community of Interest meeting to coordinate ongoing refugee assistance. There is SO much work to be done here. Throughout the day we have run into countless Ukrainian refugees seeking food, shelter, and safety. But we have also met proud Ukrainians, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to protect their homes and their families, as well as countless Poles who are giving up everything that they have to support those fleeing violence and chaos. Empact is proud to be working for and alongside these resilient people!
Thank you!
//Team Ukraine
Empact’s Pathfinder team focused on the #Poland-#Ukraine border is in the air! We’ve made our way onto the first leg of travel from Seattle to Chicago. Up next, Helsinki and then Warsaw. After a nights rest, we plan to push to the border and begin our assessments to determine what’s needed most and where. This assessment is critical to establishing effective humanitarian supply routs and ensuring the right support gets to the right people.
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