The entities explain that the shipment of material goods to Ukraine can involve large logistics costs | The Government is preparing a plan to welcome 6,000 refugees in the first stage
Spain is throwing itself into aid to Ukraine and outlines a collaboration on two fronts. On the one hand, the Government, in coordination with the autonomous communities, is preparing a reception plan for thousands of refugees from the conflict. On the other hand, NGOs from all over Spain, the largest and the smallest, are sending essential materials and money to the conflict zone.
The Russian invasion is causing the largest refugee exodus in Europe since World War II. The Minister of Migration, José Luis Escrivá, has announced that the first reception program will have a capacity for more than 6,000 people, with places distributed among all the communities. Escrivá said in an interview on RNE that the plan is “flexible” and that there may be more foster care.
Until now, an unquantified number of Ukrainians have arrived in Spain, although most of them have done so individually, or through some organizations, and have settled with family or friends who already resided here. Those who are now fleeing the war but have no links to Spain will arrive at three reception points, which will be located in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), Barcelona and Alicante, although the list of reception facilities may be extended. In these places “they will know their rights and they will be interviewed to find out their needs and they will be referred to the most appropriate resources,” explains Escrivá.
The temporary protection directive for the unlimited reception of Ukrainians, approved by the European Union last week, “simplifies all paperwork and allows immediate access to work and all international protection aid from the outset,” said the minister. Specifically, the European directive grants a residence and work permit, facilitates access to the benefits provided, including medical ones, and gives children under 18 the right to access education under the same conditions as nationals of the country of origin. Host EU.
But in addition, the Spanish have another open door to collaborate in alleviating this humanitarian crisis. The Ministry of Migration recommends channeling the help of citizens through the NGOs that work in the area and discourages donations in kind in the first moments of the emergency “as it is likely to saturate the logistical capacities of humanitarian actors.”
The ministry cites three international organizations that are working in Ukraine (the Federation and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations Agency for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Contribution through the Humanitarian Fund for Ukraine (OCHA) and the Agency of the UN for Refugees (Acnur), but also Spanish NGOs that are on the ground and that are part of the Coordinator of Organizations for the Development of Spain (
https://coordinadoraongd.org/2022/03/como-support-a-las-ngo-spanolas-en-ukrania/).
Both the ministry and the NGOs make some recommendations before starting to collaborate because “goodwill is not enough”. In a decalogue, the entities explain, for example, that the problems will persist for a long time and that there is no need to rush: «Your help is not urgent; It will be valid for a long time.” They also advise first contacting Ukrainian entities in each city and, above all, stress that it is better to donate money than other goods. Why? “Goods donated in kind in Spain may not be adequate to the needs of the population and to the humanitarian and logistical situation on the ground” and, moreover, “they may entail additional logistical administrative costs and difficulties – the need for packaging, additional customs procedures, the date expiry date on food and medicines, etc. – for the NGOs and public administrations that manage them».
Finally, faced with the avalanche of offers, the Spanish NGOs recall that “in times of conflict and humanitarian crisis, the adoption of boys and girls is not an option.” “It is very difficult to determine what family situation they are in and, therefore, efforts are focused on caring for them on the ground itself and regrouping them with their family,” they stress.
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