March 6, 2022
News
Relief that they are out of the worst and safe. But also the horror, fear and worry of what will happen next. These are the feelings that fill the air at the Slovak border crossings of Vyšné Nemecké and Ubľa, where thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the war are streaming into the country.
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There has been a lot of shooting and sirens are always blaring
A young woman, her daughter, her mother and other relatives are about to board a bus in Vyšné Nemecké. She comes from Zaporizhzhia. "In our town, there was a lot of shooting and sirens were always blaring, it was very dangerous. So we packed up our things and left," she says.
They had a long journey, but they had no problem crossing the border. They are now on their way to Prague. The people who organise free transport here will also arrange accommodation for the first few days and will go with them to the foreign police to help them make all the necessary arrangements.
I hope we can return soon
In a cultural house a few hundred metres from the border crossing in Ubľa, there are facilities for refugees and aid organisations. There are food and drink supplies and medical assistance. Several families have just been brought here from the border. Among them, 30-year-old Alina and her about a year-old daughter.
They have come directly from Kiev, where the fighting is ongoing. "We went to Uzhhorod by train with a change in Lviv, the journey took us two days. It was a crisis train, with ten or more people in one compartment," Alina says. Her husband, who had to enlist, brought them to the train.
Alina and her daughter are now heading to Germany, where her aunt and other relatives live. "For now, we can stay with them and see. I don't want to settle down, if the situation in Ukraine improves, I would like to go back as soon as possible," she hopes.
There is almost nothing in the shops anymore
In Vyšné Nemetské, we also spoke to Ms. Diana (60 years old), who has just crossed the border with her children and grandchildren. While people in cars wait in a queue for several hours, for them as pedestrians it took only a few minutes to cross. From Slovakia they continue to the Czech Republic where their husbands work.
The family is from Svaljava in the Transcarpathian region, where it has been quiet so far. However, the war has had an impact on prices and stockpiles of goods. "There is almost nothing left in the shops and what is left is overpriced. A litre of oil costs 70 hryvnia. Petrol is scarce, so sales are currently limited to a maximum of 20 litres per fill-up," says Diana.
Caritas helps at the borders, in the Czech Republic and Ukraine
Nearly 1.5 million people have already fled Ukraine. Another 4.5 million Ukrainians are internally displaced. Some 16 million people in the country are in need of humanitarian aid.
Caritas is helping not only at the border, but also directly in Ukraine and in the Czech Republic. It helps to transport refugees to safety and provides psychosocial care. It provides them with basic necessities, food, drink, shelter, but also clothes or SIM cards. In the Czech Republic, we help them with visa processing and integration - interpreting for them, accompanying them to the doctors, helping them find work and school for their children.
We can do all this thanks to you. Thank you for contributing to the Caritas for Ukraine appeal.
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