Polish charity raises over EUR 20 mln in aid for Ukraine

Caritas Polska, a Catholic charity, has collected more than PLN 100 million (EUR 21.54 million) in aid for Ukraine.

A total of PLN 50.8 million (EUR 10.94 million) has already gone to the organisation's diocese sections, Rev. Marcin Iżycki, the charity's director, said on Wednesday.

He added that care and educational support had been granted to 2,500 of the youngest Ukrainian refugees, and that Caritas centres had taken in around 700 orphans from Ukrainian children's homes.

"The first and most urgent need that was faced was to accept a huge number of refugees from Ukraine and grant them ad-hoc support," Iżycki said at a press conference, adding that Caritas had provided over 1.5 million meals and transported 19,500 people as well as supporting more than 8,300 families in its centres.

He said 2,000 people had made use of legal assistance and almost 5,000 had used psychological support. The charity's diocesan units have provided jobs for 300 Ukrainian refugees, Iżycki also said.

Of the orphans taken in from Ukrainian homes, those with illnesses or disabilities had been relocated to specialist facilities in Poland or abroad and others had been found safe temporary accommodation, he added.

Iżycki said that humanitarian aid had also been sent to Ukraine. "The estimated value of support transferred in the form of donated items exceeded PLN 136 million (EUR 29.30 million)," he said. "Among these are food and sanitary products, medical supplies including drugs and wheelchairs, as well as electricity generators."