Public urged to donate medicines and batteries not clothes to Ukrainian refugees
Longford And A With Drove Ukrainian Whizzkids Hazel The Wexford In Counties Longford In Border Standing Displaying Who Aid Poster Creche Robinson Waterford, From Volunteers On Peace Hrabenne From
The public has been urged to donate medicines and practical items such as batteries rather than clothing for Ukrainian refugees as understanding of the crisis grows.
Many people have donated aid to help the estimated 2m people fleeing the fighting.
However Iga Harwas of Stand with Ukraine, Waterford said the situation is dynamic and she urged people to only donate the specific items requested by charities.
She is in regular contact with the Polish Red Cross and Ukrainian Red Cross.
“They need medical aid, dry foods, batteries, torches and powerbanks for mobile phones,” she said.
She also advised donors to check expiry dates on any medications as they have received some dated for use by 2019. She urged people to instead buy medicines in a pharmacy.
“I didn’t expect that Irish hearts would be so open,” she said. “I’m so grateful to all the people who are helping us and volunteering, they are putting their heart into this to do some good things.”
She plans at first to gather 20kg of aid and post it to contacts in her native Poland.
The group has already sent one truck-load of aid to the border town of Hrabenne. Two more are planned thanks to generous support around Co Waterford and Co Wexford.
The first load went in a horsebox van, driven by Hilary and Hazel Robinson from the Hungry Horse Outside charity in Co Longford. They connected with Ms Harwas through the Updates Ireland Facebook page which Hazel runs.
Speaking from the ferry on their journey back towards Ireland yesterday, Hazel said they also took donations from their community.
“We packed the lorry to the roof, I was in shock when I went down to Waterford at how much they had,” she said.
The 2,695km drive to the Ukrainian border is gruelling, and she said: “It was freezing, we drove by a lake that was frozen over. There’s makeshift tents like soup kitchens, and buggies lined up everywhere.”
They also carried cards and posters from schoolchildren including a peace poster made by young children at WhizzKids Drumlish.
“You can feel the stress there, the atmosphere really changed when we pulled that out. They were really smiling,” she said.
She also thinks practical aid is needed, and especially clear evacuation routes to keep the vast crowds moving. “We need the Government to tell us how we can help. This is on our doorstep now,” she said.
Meanwhile in Cork, the Polish centre Together Razem began welcoming Ukrainian refugees on Tuesday.
“We are setting up a reception hub here for them,” said Voydeck Bialek. “We have to act quickly.”
He has been contacted by the HSE to offer it help and he called on the Government to set up a hub in Cork as they have done in Dublin.
“I am waiting for the Department of Justice to phone me, we have been here for 15 years doing this work. We are happy to show them everything,” he said.
They will host a rally in support of Ukraine on Sunday at 4pm on the Grand Parade.
Contact: https://together-razem.org/pl/