Irish aid workers are already at the border between Poland and Ukraine and are helping Ukrainian refugees with “nowhere to go” flee the murderous Russian invasion.
Almost 900,000 Ukrainians have fled their country already, almost half of them to Poland, as hundreds of thousands more make their three to four day journey from east to west Ukraine looking for a way out.
Up to a quarter of a million people are now queuing for up to three days at the border between Ukraine and Poland, desperate to escape Vladimir Putin’s soldiers’ brutal attacks that have left 2,000 Ukrainian civilians dead in a week.
And Kieran McConville of Concern told the Irish Mirror from the Polish side of the border on Wednesday night that he “feels the worst is yet to come” as he spoke to the Mirror.
Mr McConville, a former cameraman with RTE, was there with fellow Irishman, photographer Gavin Douglas, as part of a Concern team at the border crossing of Medyka on Wednesday.
He was speaking to the Mirror after working at that border crossing for the day.
Mr McConville said: “A lot of people are leaving in a panic, even though there was a lot of talk about what might happen in Ukraine, a lot of people were still taken by surprise, so they left with not much and found themselves going on a very roundabout journey, three to four days across Ukraine, through checkpoints.
“There are trains that are still running from Ukraine that are for women and children essentially, men are not leaving.
He added: “People are making their way as best they can, then there’s a long way to the other side of the border, there’s a lot of people waiting to cross, they said that they’ve waited three days (at the border).”
Mr McConville said that he doesn’t see things getting better anytime soon.
“There are a certain number of people who don’t have anywhere to go and they are getting temporary accommodation.
“We have an emergency team here led by Ross O’Sullivan, who is very experienced.
“They are assessing what is needed, it’s very important we assess what is needed to be done, so they’re there ready and people are being looked after.
“But there is a feeling that the worst is yet to come in terms of the numbers that will be attempting to cross over and people who will start falling through the cracks.”
Mr McConville said Concern is thankful for all of the generosity of the Irish people, but for logistical purposes, money, through donations, is the best way to help the aid effort.
Mr McConville and Mr Douglas will be travelling to border points in Slovakia on Thursday and then on to Romania as part of their continuing humanitarian work.
- To donate to Concern’s Ukraine Crisis appeal visit: https://www.concern.net/donate/ukraine-crisis-appeal
