Ávila (EFE).- Sara Escudero, from Avila, Spanish Red Cross delegate in Poland, is living on the front line of the ‘battle’ of the war against the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine that has caused the Russian invasion, which has been one year since .
Although he has had to go to Sierra Leone to fight Ebola, the earthquakes in Iran or Haiti, the tsunami suffered by Indonesia or the typhoon in the Philippines, Escudero is experiencing “the great humanitarian crisis of this century in Europe” in a different way. , because it is “at the doorstep of the house”, as he explains.
Accustomed to facing crises of all kinds in different corners of the world, this volunteer from Avila tells EFE about her experience from Poland, where she moved with her family in August 2020, as a “mentally very tough” mission, since the prolongation of the conflict and the large number of people affected result in an “emotional and physical wear”.
In fact, the volunteers of this NGO, to which he has belonged for 27 years, also receive psychological support when they need it to face the avalanche of refugees arriving from all parts of Ukraine, especially in the first weeks after the invasion.
Humanitarian crisis in Ukraine
In total, more than eight million Ukrainians have left their country, of which 1.5 million are in Poland, whose inhabitants have shown “very supportive” with some neighbors who, saving the distances, compare as the Spanish and Portuguese .
Although she arrived in Warsaw in August 2020, this Public Works engineer for whom becoming a Red Cross volunteer changed her life, the war has forced her to change her mind, once again, moving through five of the eight border points between Poland and Ukraine.
The objective: to initially respond to the humanitarian emergency that occurred in the first weeks, with daily flows of between 20,000 and 25,000 people each day, who had to be cared for, and then be referred to other parts of the country or Europe.
Solidarity of the Poles
Sara Escudero highlights the solidarity of the Poles, who have “there” the consequences of World War II, while pointing out how there are 44 countries involved in aid and reception, including Spain, to which the Ukrainians thank their collaboration, reaching more than 125,000 people.
After the rapid and “fluid” initial response, despite the difficulties of a humanitarian avalanche of these characteristics, the million and a half refugees in Poland are spread over different cities, including Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw.
Now, once that “first avalanche” has been overcome and the initial “emergency phase” has ended, Escudero points out that they are in the “stabilization phase”, trying to ensure that the refugees “integrate, find work, learn the language, settle children go to school and receive health care.
And all while preparing for the “different scenarios” that may occur from now on, since the Red Cross analyzes all the possibilities to deal with situations of “vulnerability” and “helplessness”, depending on how the situation evolves. conflict.
To face this “mentally very tough mission”, he has the support of his family in Poland -husband and two children-, as well as that of Ávila, to where he has traveled to “disconnect to reconnect” last summer and a few days last Christmas.
Now, back in Poland, where he does not know how long he will be, he continues to appeal to the population that “can still collaborate” since “this emergency has not ended”; What’s more, he warns that, when it is finished, “the reconstruction will cost a lot.” EFE
