The Vrancea branch of the Red Cross is a true role model of inspiration regarding the humanitarian intervention programmes supporting refugees following the crisis in Ukraine, according to the representatives of the visiting delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Agerpres reports.
IFRC’s Under Secretary General for National Society Development and Operations Coordination Xavier Castellanos told AGERPRES that the purpose of this visit was, first of all, to get an idea of the work of the Romanian Red Cross Society, to see how the organization previously worked, what challenges the conflict in Ukraine brought and an understanding on how it adapted to the new reality. The Under Secretary mentioned that it was obvious from the discussions he had, that the organization put dignity first and it was not just about humanitarian services, but especially about how dignity became a key element in delivering services. He added that the Vrancea Red Cross proved that the previous services they had in progress remained relevant and were not affected by the Ukrainian crisis, but rather strengthened.
Throughout over 250 days of war, the Vrancea Red Cross organized humanitarian intervention actions both for refugees in the county and across the border, in Ukraine. Thus, until this moment, the volunteers of the branch managed to cross over the border a number of 184 humanitarian transports, worth more than 8.5 million lei, and for their distribution they traveled almost 90,000 kilometers on Ukrainian territory, reaching 43 cities, including Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Uman, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Odessa, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv or Bucha. More than 52,000 Ukrainians benefited from the humanitarian aid, consisting of food, water, hygiene products, medicines, clothes, generators, survival kits, bedding.
No fewer than 61 volunteers have worked in recent months exclusively for the programme dedicated to Ukrainian refugees, both in Vrancea and in Ukraine.
Head of the IFRC delegation Mike Adamson said that he was very impressed by all the work here in the area of social inclusion for the local population, and also the support and generosity towards the Ukrainian refugees. But he was most impressed and inspired by the volunteers’ humanity and generosity.
There are 150,000 refugees from Ukraine in the UK and the British Red Cross offers them similar support, both in money and in goods, helping them to settle. Mike Adamson said that, in a way, the British Red Cross does similar things, the sentiments of humanity are the same, but they are much further from the Ukrainian tragedy.
The members of the international delegation visited, on Tuesday, the Social Store, which has been operating on the premises of the Refugee Reception Center since the first days of the war, when the first refugees arrived in the Vrancea county, as well as the „Home for Ukraine” Day Center, set up this summer at the Vrancea Red Cross headquarters.
„More than 1,000 refugees have been registered in Vrancea since the beginning of the conflict, but the number of people who stopped in Vrancea even for a short period of time is much higher. Today, there are still around 130-140 Ukrainian refugees registered in Vrancea, mostly accommodated by private individuals. Once a week, sometimes even more often, the Ukrainian refugees arrive at the Social Store to stock up on strictly necessary products. The store is supplied with products provided by the Romanian Red Cross, but also with the help of some sponsors that we manage to identify at local level and whom we thank to, from the bottom of our hearts, for their involvement,” Director of the Vrancea Red Cross Rodica Davidean mentioned.
Because many of the Ukrainian refugees of the Vrancea county were present at the meeting in Focsani, the members of the International Red Cross delegation had a long discussion with them, and inquired about their situation and needs.
The organization is implementing several types of projects addressed to vulnerable people categories, such as emergency shelters for homelessness persons, elderly people and homeless people, social inclusion projects through which vulnerable people are provided with basic needs – food, hygiene products and medicines. In the area of healthcare, prevention and health education, the Vrancea Red Cross manages multifunctional socio-medical centers, through which medical assistance, social assistance and hygiene services are provided.
In the education area, the Vrancea Red Cross organizes, for children and young people in difficulty, non-formal education activities and professional training courses.
Through the „Under the Roof of the Red Cross” programme, the Vrancea branch manages two residential campuses, in Adjud and Vanatori, meant to improve the living conditions of certain categories of marginalized people, with around 80 beneficiaries, and offers activities for the elderly.
Agerpres
