Ukraine

In 2024, the Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM) received funding under the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Poland, Polish aid program. In rural areas of the Kherson, Kharkiv, and Poltava oblasts, as well as in Kherson, PCPM will renovate outpatient clinics that have been damaged: 10 in the Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts, and in the framework of the second module, similar work and renovation of 5 facilities are planned in the Poltava oblast, which is a relatively safe place for people fleeing the armed conflict. In addition, it is planned to provide further support to 15 facilities renovated in both modules by purchasing equipment (both medical and general) in accordance with the notified needs and consulted with specialists.

It is also planned to purchase rescue equipment and train medical staff in the use of the received equipment and in emergency medicine, to which access in rural areas is difficult.

Within the framework of the same project, PCPM will continue to provide humanitarian assistance in the Kherson and Kharkiv oblasts by distributing specialized hygiene items (diapers, bedsores creams, etc.) and special food packages to people with limited mobility in villages in border areas with limited access to shops.

In Kherson, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv regions, the Foundation delivers hygiene product packages to over 120 villages, the city of Kherson, and Ochakiv in the Mykolaiv region. PCPM also provides adult diapers. Thanks to the support of the Biedronka Foundation, the aid will continue until the end of 2024.

Beginning in February 2022. The PCPM Foundation assisted in the evacuation of residents of Kharkiv and the surrounding area to a prepared center in Svitlovodsk. Specialists from PCPM’s Emergency Medical Team evacuated Ukrainian patients: children from oncology wards, people in need of specialized treatment, the elderly and those alone. Since the escalation, the foundation has been organizing humanitarian transports, equipment and ambulances for hospitals. As early as March 2022, the Foundation opened a 24-hour unique Transit Center at East Warsaw Station, created specifically for those fleeing the war from Ukraine.

The Foundation’s staff and volunteers worked right on the front line, delivering aid to the most devastated places in Kherson region and Kherson itself. They donated firefighting equipment. After the dam on the Dnieper River blew up in Novaya Kakhovka, aid also reached flood victims.

The PCPM helped those who lacked the means to live. It paid handouts, provided rent subsidies. It organized safe places and fuel for the winter.

In 11 different municipalities in Ukraine, the foundation launched “Cash for Work” intervention employment programs. In mid-2023, reconstruction and renovation of destroyed homes began. PCPM supported the restoration of public services in Ukrainian cities. Thanks to vehicles provided by the foundation, public transportation was restored in Trotsinets, and humanitarian aid was able to reach those most in need. In Truskavets, the foundation equipped shelters in schools so that children could learn together again.

The PCPM Foundation, with the support of the Taiwanese community, is making a significant contribution to the reconstruction of Trostianets. In November, 5 buses, a dust truck, a sewage tanker, and ambulances were donated, which will reactivate many public services. Also, in collaboration with the Taiwanese government, PCPM is rebuilding and renovating houses in the village of Tsirkuny near Kharkiv, which is primarily inhabited by the elderly and people with disabilities

The Foundation extended support to refugees from Ukraine, assisting them in rebuilding their lives in Poland. This assistance was especially crucial for vulnerable groups, including the elderly, lonely individuals, and people with disabilities. PCPM disbursed aid payments and financed rent subsidies.

Additionally, PCPM implemented a program to employ refugee teachers from Ukraine (known as “Cash for Work”). The program also facilitated the hiring of translators, babysitters, and entertainers for children. Refugees also found employment in Warsaw’s cultural centers, made possible through collaboration with the City of Warsaw and the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

The Foundation played a vital role in the adaptation and education of Ukrainian children. Donations of classroom supplies, laptops, projectors, and furniture supported their learning. Furthermore, an Education and Creativity Center was established in the capital, providing a space for mothers and children to engage in activities while receiving assistance. During vacations, the Foundation organized half-day camps in ten Polish cities.

In Warsaw, a PCPM Education Center with a Ukrainian curriculum and language was inaugurated, catering specifically to Ukrainian students.

After the initial months of the war, it became evident that evacuation, particularly of hospital patients, needed improvement. Ukraine was integrated into the European Civil Protection Mechanism. In September 2022, driven by the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and with collaboration from the Polish Ministry of Health, the PCPM established the MEDEVAC HUB Jasionka. This hub facilitated the transportation of Ukrainian patients to various European countries for medical treatment and was located near the Rzeszow airport.

The PCPM Foundation stood as the sole Polish organization providing aid to Ukrainian male and female refugees at the Latvian-Russian and Latvian-Belarusian borders.