Helping a Ukrainian Refugee Family in Poland : Witold Smyk

This is my second report on the refugee situation in Poland today. It is my elaborated thank note to a friend in the USA who sent me some money for helping. It relates to the assistance provided to one Ukrainian refugee family that includes a women in 9th month of pregnancy. - it represents refugees' typical, very tragic situation.

Warsaw 13.03.2022

Dear Maggie,

Thank you for your contribution to helping the Ukrainian refugees in Poland. I would like to inform you that the complete amount of your donation has been used to support a family of three plus from Kyiv: grandmother Tanya (58y.), mother Valera (31y.) and her daughter Mira (3y.). Valera is pregnant and due in 2 weeks. She’ll be blessed with another daughter Ivanka. Tanya’s husband and Valera’s farther Igor and Valera’s husband Vadim have stayed in Kyiv. Valera is an architect.

Owners of a small house in my neighborhood have offered a room - the bathroom and kitchen is shared with the owners. The accommodation is free of charge so your donation will be used mainly for food, clothes, hygienic and medical supplies, sharing in the utility’s costs, baby stuff, and other needs.

Valera speaks Ukrainian and Russian, so the hosts have found a hospital with a Ukrainian speaking midwife. Unfortunately, the hospital is located on the other end of Warsaw, so the challenge will be to make it on time to the hospital. It has been observed that due to war-related stress Ukrainian mothers often deliver before the due time and then have problems with proper lactation. So, they are preparing for this eventuality too.

They speak to their husbands every day but because they do not hear good news from them the calls have a depressing effect. Tanya and Valera were particularly badly affected by the news of bombing and complete destruction of the children’s and maternity hospital in Mariupol. At the very end of the pictures, I am attaching a very shocking picture of a pregnant women evacuated from the hospital. I am sorry for making you sad, but I just wanted to give you an idea what world their minds live in.

On the bright note, today, the Sunday, we had a cold but sunny weather in Warsaw, and their host took them for a walk through the Old Town. The walk took their mind of the war and as you can see on the pictures their mood picked up.

To set up a wider context please let me add that at this moment, within 17 days of the war, 1,75 million of refugees have arrived to Poland. For comparison, in 2014 - 2015, during the big immigration crisis in Europe, 1.2 million of immigrants arrived over a year to Europe. The Polish President signed yesterday a legal act securing financial support for refugees and those who provide the accommodation - late, eventually, some benefits will come but their level will be low, insufficient - 8.50 USD per day per person for hosting. It took two weeks for the population of Warsaw to increase by 25%. The available capacity in private homes, hostels, hotels, spas, sports halls, exposition halls, etc., is quickly decreasing and building tent refugee camps is not be compliant with our cold climate or standards of hospitality. The EU promises 500 mln euro for the refugees in Poland. That might seem a lot of money but if one divides it by 2 million of refugees (and will be more), that's only 240 euro per person. The EU pays DAILY the same amount for gas and oil into the bloody hands of Putin.

Considering all that, your contribution was needed and is greatly appreciated by Tanya and Valera. Maria and I are also very grateful. Please pass on the thanks to your family.

Best regards
Witold Smyk