Krakow helps Ukraine - summary of activities

In order to summarize the assistance activities undertaken by the city for refugees, a press conference was organized with the participation of the city authorities. Mayor Jacek Majchrowski presented the scale of the challenge. He reminded that a few years ago, there was a huge wave of emigration in Europe and within two years, a million refugees arrived in European countries. However, as a result of the war in Ukraine, in just three weeks nearly 2 million refugees came to Poland.

As a local government, our first responsibility is to our residents, and we cannot have a destabilizing effect on the functioning of the city. We are already at the limit of our capacity. Yesterday, I met with mayors of other large cities in Warsaw and apparently the situation there is similar to the one in Kraków - said the mayor. - Decisions and actions of the government administration are required enabling the refugees to be placed also in less burdened places in the country, in smaller cities and towns, where refugees are not willing to go so far - he stressed. It is very welcome by the Polish society that the refugees gain independence as soon as possible, which would also allow them to integrate better.

The Mayor of Kraków thanked the city's residents, who regardless of their age and profession, became volunteers on the spot. Volunteers, including scouts, ngo’s work in coordination with the city.

Providing help is the task of all of us, but as a local government, we operate within a formal and legal framework and within financial restrictions - noted Antoni Fryczek, Secretary of the City. - It is necessary to underline that providing assistance to refugees is the task of government administration. The opinion of the National Audit Office is that we can spend money for this purpose from the financial reserve. It is worth emphasizing that local government units provide support for the government administration.

On the day after the outbreak of war the local government launched a collection of goods from the citizens and businesses of Kraków, thanks to which many towns in Ukraine have already received aid. So far we have already sent 41 trucks and 21 lorries with goods to Ukraine, among others to Lviv, Kiev, Stary Sambor, Biała Cerkiew, Włodzimierz Wołyński, Morszyn, Równe, Yavoriv and Vinnytsia Oblast.

Kraków has also turned to its partner cities for assistance. The support has already been provided and different deliveries were sent to Ukrainian cities, e.g. power generators, medicines, etc.

In response to the Mayor of Kraków's appeal for aid for Ukraine, our partner and cooperating cities have transferred financial donations and goods required for people of Ukraine. We are receiving shipments of medicines, medical equipment, foodstuffs, as well as generators. The authorities of our partners cities also declare to accept refugees.

Help from partner and cooperating cities:

• Nuremberg - a shipment of medicines, hygiene products and medical equipment for hospitals has been delivered to Kraków. The gifts have already been transported to two hospitals in Ukraine (in Kiev and Biała Cerkiew). Nuremberg also made a cash donation of 10,000 euros. On 29 March a shipment of humanitarian aid (500 kg) from Nuremeberg Airport arrived to Kraków. 
• Leipzig - sent a transport of specialized medicines to a warehouse in Kraków  - it has already reached Ukrainian hospitals. More such transports are planned. On 26 March another transport of medicines and medical equipment for Ucrainian hospitals has been shippped to Kraków. 
• Frankfurt am Main - organized a charity concert of Ukrainian and Russian pianists. During the concert 14 485 00 Euro were collected. These funds will be transferred to the account of the S. Żeromski hospital, which will buy medicines to be sent to Ukraine. Moreover, a shipment of goods for Ukraine (worth 100,000 EURO) arrived in Kraków, including special pharmaceuticals which were transported to the hospital in Rivne.  

Orleans - 4 lorries were sent to Kraków with the humanitarian aid: the first one was unloaded in Kraków and the content left for the those in need here, the content of the second one was reloaded and sent to Ukraine. The other two lorries were sent directly to Przemyśl.

• Trondheim - two medium sized power generators arrived in Kraków and were forwarded to Lviv
• Innsbruck - a cash donation of EURO 40,000 has been declared for the S. Żeromski City Hospital.
• Vienna, Bratislava, Pécs and Olomouc in the Czech Republic -  are organizing help on their own.

Declarations of reception of refugees from Ukraine:

•     Cannes - the delegation which visited Kraków on 9 March declares to accept refugees
•     Orléans - the mayor of Orléans has declared readiness to accept 140 refugees. On 16 March, a bus with 48 refugees left Kraków for Orléans, second bus from Orlean transported people of Ukraine from Przemyśl.
•     Innsbruck - has declared to accept 100 refugees.
•     Solothurn - offering accommodation for refugees. On 1 April, a bus with 46 refugees left Kraków for Solothurn.
•     Pays de Mormal - has declared to host approx. 90 refugees.

There are also offers from private persons to take in and transport Ukrainian refugees abroad. 

However, organizing transport for refugees requires a systemic solution. We ask foreign cities making such offers to clarify the conditions of stay for refugees. We are working on an effective way of notifying and recruiting refugees who would like to leave foreign cities.

We are focusing on offers sent by city offices. For the sake of refugees' safety, offers from private individuals require verification of their credibility. The Municipality of Kraków does not have appropriate tools.