They took whatever they could grab quickly. Many of them cried. They do.
According to the United Nations, more than 3.6million people fled Ukraine in the last month since the conflict began. This is the largest movement of people in Europe since World War II. Many believed that they would soon return home. This hope is now fading.
“At the start, we thought this would end pretty quickly,” Olha Homienko (a Kharkiv woman of 50 years old) said. “First, no one could believe Russia would attack us. We thought it would end quickly.
Homienko stated that “as far as we can see, there’s nothing to look forward too.”
Homienko’s home town is one of many cities and towns that were heavily shelled and encircled by the Russians. Many refugees from towns under siege have spoken of death, destruction and hunger.
Natalia Lutsenko from Chernihiv in northern Ukraine said that she believed the Russian invasion was a “misunderstanding.”
Lutsenko stated that she could not understand why Russian President Vladimir Putin would want to make Ukrainians suffer so badly.
“Why does he bomb peaceful homes?” Lutsenko asked why there were so many casualties, blood and children killed, as well as body parts all over the place. It is terrible. It is a nightmare. “Parents are crying, there are no more children.”
Lutsenko fled her home and arrived in Medyka, a town near the border of Poland and Ukraine, where she was rescued by refugees who have been arriving since the beginning of the invasion.
Marek Iwasieczko, Medyka Mayor, clearly recalls February 24, the first day in the war.
“That day was a surprise to me. “Suddenly, a large number of people appeared at Medyka,” Iwasieczko said. They arrived exhausted and it was still cold.
Although Medyka authorities had made arrangements for some of the facilities, it was overwhelmed by the influx of thousands of people who needed shelter, food and medicines.
Iwasieczko said that everyone believed until the end that war could be avoided.
He said, “Everything had been prepared, even if we weren’t sure whether all of this would be required.” One month later, “we dream about stabilization and ending this situation… We are tired, but we will help until the end.”
Nelya Kot, 66, from Chernihiv, said that she woke up to the sound explosions and sirens of the air raid sirens in Przemysl when the war began on February 24.
She said, “I thought it might be a drill but then realized that… explosions wouldn’t be heard.” “At that time my daughter called me and said, “Mom! Russia has attacked us.”
Kot said that one month later, Chernihiv residents were still drinking river water to sustain themselves. She said that her nephew died while waiting for bread and there is devastation everywhere.
Kot gasped, “Today there is no water (in Chernihiv), no gas, and no electricity.” “People are isolated, they only drink water from the Desna river.
The European Union announced Wednesday that it will help millions of refugees access schools, housing, and health care in order to ease the burden on member states who accept refugees.
These measures are also intended to facilitate refugees’ movement between countries that can host them in the EU or other countries like Canada and the United Kingdom. Both countries have large Ukrainian communities.
Most of the victims were women and children. Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 years old are prohibited from leaving Ukraine and staying to fight. The refugees sought refuge in other countries to rebuild their lives, find work and start school. Some others have moved to other countries where they have family.
Maria Tykha, a 29 year-old refugee from Kharkiv still doesn’t know what to do next. She said that he couldn’t believe it was possible in the 21st Century after arriving by train at Przemysl on Thursday.
The refugees still arrive in Medyka, but in smaller numbers and warmer temperatures. Children could be seen holding their favourite toys, mothers carrying babies, and people arriving with their dogs.
Volunteers offered more than just safety and immediate assistance on Thursday. The Dream Doctors organization in Israel sent clowns to entertain the children, while Humane Society International donated pet food.
According to the United Nations Children’s Agency, half of Ukraine’s children (4.3 million out of an estimated 7.5million) have fled their homes. This includes 1.8 million children who have fled the country.
Lutsenko was seated on her bed in a sports hall, which has been converted into a refugee centre. There were dozens of beds arranged in one area. Her thoughts were the same as hers that the war would end in a matter of days.
She said, “Nobody expected it to last this long for a month.” “I believe Ukraine will win, and I believe in our military. I still believe.”
