Warsaw and Kyiv join efforts to build new settlements for internally displaced people: report

The governments in Warsaw and Kyiv are working together on building new settlements for 20,000 internally displaced people, a Polish newspaper has reported.

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Photo:Darek Delmanowicz

In an article published on Monday in the “Rzeczpospolita”, the Polish daily said that “neither the Polish nor the Ukrainian government wants a recap of the situation after February 24, when Polish borders were crossed by millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war”. “Today, there are about one million of them in Poland, and another million have settled in Germany. They are mainly women and children”, the paper added. More than 7.6 million Ukrainians crossed the Polish borders during these nine months, and 5.8 million of them left the country.

According to “Rzeczpospolita”, Poland’s Government Information Center reported that the Polish government, in a coordinated effort with Ukrainian authorities, is looking to build settlements for 20,000 internally displaced people. The housing will be comprised of modular containers that can be easily transported and deployed. The first such center has been opened in Lviv.

In an interview with the daily, Polish deputy interior minister Paweł Szefernaker said that Warsaw and Kyiv are preparing for various scenarios, although “the Ukrainian government is doing everything to keep Ukrainians at home.”

“Of course, the situation may vary, because winter, as well as events related to the dynamics of the war, may cause more people to start coming to us”, Szefernaker stated.

“Rzeczpospolita” also reported that Warsaw is still looking to help Ukrainians in Poland. Since the start of the invasion, Poland has already spent around PLN 5.5 billion (USD 1.21 bn) on accommodation, benefits, and food.

But, according to the daily, the Polish government “admits that it can no longer afford such extensive support, so from February 2023 the refugees are expected to contribute to the cost of their living – PLN 40 (USD 9) per day, and then 60, for accommodation”.

(jh)

Source: Rzeczpospolita

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