Mlyny is a small city in southeastern Poland, roughly eight kilometres from the border with Ukraine. The in any other case quiet village has turn out to be one of many details of entry for the over two million individuals who have arrived within the nation for the reason that begin of the warfare.
Ukrainians dwelling overseas, third-country nationals, and native and worldwide volunteers, have rushed to Mlyny, to offer no matter assist they will. Amongst them is Aurang Zeb Khan, a grasp’s diploma scholar who got here to Poland at the beginning of the disaster.
Mr. Khan helps at a transit web site, a repurposed buying centre which hosts largely ladies and youngsters, who keep for a couple of days, and even only a few hours, earlier than resuming their journeys to Warsaw and different cities, in Poland and past.
“I got here right here to Poland on 4 March to assist folks fleeing the warfare in Ukraine, particularly third-country nationals who don’t have Ukrainian passports, however whose lives had been additionally upended by the battle.
Third nation nationals face further challenges right here. At first we witnessed discrimination as a result of they weren’t allowed free transportation, and different providers.
So, we targeted on serving to them with transport from a reception level within the city of Mlyny, on the south-eastern border with Ukraine, to convey them to Warsaw Central Station, and from there to different nations in Europe.
We additionally related them with households in Poland and Germany who needed to host them and with different people wo supplied assist to move them to their locations. At the start of the warfare, most efforts to help folks fleeing the battle had been led by volunteers.
However regardless of these efforts, third nation nationals struggled. I bear in mind three guys from India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, who had been staying at a prepare station as a result of they didn’t have cash to purchase prepare tickets.
I’ve seen many others, a few of them younger folks, who’ve had difficulties registering of their host nations.
Now we’ve got an info desk on this transit centre the place I work with two civil servants from the Polish International Workplace, who present assist with asylum processes for individuals who want it, in addition to different helpful info.
‘No person anticipated this to occur in Europe’
The IOM coaching on psychological first support is tailor-made to the experiences of refugees. For these folks, every little thing occurred within the spur of the second. No person anticipated this to occur in Europe.
As volunteers we regularly face nerve-racking conditions. I’ve seen plenty of ladies and youngsters crying daily. I bear in mind I used to be at Warsaw Central Station as soon as, and I noticed somebody crying very badly. I needed to assist her, however I didn’t understand how.
Throughout the coaching we discovered how one can method folks in want with out inflicting additional hurt, by merely providing to hear and stand by their facet.
The coaching additionally focuses on the volunteers’ well being. We be taught coping mechanisms and actions to distract ourselves. Individuals like me have been working right here continuous for nearly a month, and we regularly don’t take the time to consider our personal psychological and bodily wellbeing.
This coaching has given me plenty of hope and confidence as a volunteer. It made me really feel like we aren’t alone, that somebody is constructing our capability to do the job.
I believe now I’ll be higher geared up to help to folks fleeing the warfare, even when they simply would possibly want somebody to speak with, who understands their wants, and may allow them to know that somebody is standing by their facet.”