6,000 Ukrainian refugees housed by Red Cross in Catalonia
Organization coordinator highlights help of Russians and calls for citizens to avoid Russophobia
The Red Cross in Catalonia has assisted at least 20,000 Ukrainian refugees since the outbreak of the war began and has helped find accommodation for around 6,000 in hotels, hostels and other facilities.
More than half of the people housed are minors, but many are women who have come with children, while there are also some elderly people, and very few men.
Coordinator of the international humanitarian network in Catalonia, Enric Morist, explained to the Catalan News Agency that after responding to the most urgent needs, guaranteeing refugees places to sleep upon arrival, now it’s time for them to be given more permanent accommodation in towns across the country.
"It is not normal to live in a hotel and they will have many more opportunities," Morist explained, adding that there are still some 500 people arriving every day who do not know where to go. At the beginning of the crisis, this daily number was around 800.
In the past few weeks, the Red Cross has attended to some 20,000 Ukrainians in various ways, from greeting them at Barcelona airport, at the entity's headquarters, or at a site set up in La Jonquera, very close to the French border. After the initial wave, the organization concentrated its work at the welcome center in Fira de Barcelona.
"In those first weeks, the priority has been to ensure the basics: a place to sleep and eat. Mostly they have stayed in hotels, hostels, or residences and we have also referred people to other regions," Morist said in an interview with this media outlet.
Help from the Russian community
Morist highlights the help the Red Cross has received from the Russian community in Catalonia, both in terms of accommodation and as translators. The organization coordinator wanted to highlight this assistance they’ve gotten so as not to be "counterproductive."
He explains that "Russian people are offering their help, but sometimes they don't feel good. It's a danger that they will be stigmatized.”
The coordinator of the Red Cross points out that, beyond the Russian community, they have received many offers to help. "This conflict has affected us a lot emotionally," he says. Morist finds many similarities with the Balkan war to this humanitarian crisis, even though 30 years have passed.