Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are arriving in Italy across the country’s border with Slovenia, as reported on Tuesday (8) by UNICEF and the NGO Save the Children. In all, 300 to 600 people arrive in the country every day. Most are women, children and the elderly.
In the last four days, the organizations assisted 1,600 people who crossed the border from Italian territory, in the city of Triste. In the region, volunteers distribute basic necessities such as blankets, soap, compresses, food, water, masks, as well as games and coloring books for children.
Children represent 40% of refugees. “They are exhausted after a long and difficult journey, and they have fear in their eyes from what they have seen. In many cases, mothers feel overwhelmed by the sense of responsibility for their children and anguish for the family members left behind,” said Raffaela Milano, director of Save the Children’s programs in Italy.
Furthermore, the coordinator of the Unicef Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in the country, Anna Riatti, highlighted the need to “ensure adequate information at the main points of entry and traffic, the correct identification of minors and the activation of reception, which also involve civil society, such as family reception”.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, 17,286 Ukrainian citizens have arrived in Italy, including 8,608 women, 1,682 men and 6,996 minors, according to data updated by the Ministry of the Interior. Most went to the cities of Rome and Bologna, both in the central region, Milan, in the north, and Naples, in the south.
On Monday (7), Italian Interior Minister Lucia Lamorgese announced that border controls will be strengthened to help refugees, given the expectation of receiving up to 900,000 people.
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