UNHCR concerned over Ukraine refugee trauma
(10 Mar 2022) A spokesperson for the United Nations refugee agency (UNCHR) on Thursday said trauma, abuse of refugees and the needs of children who are fleeing the war in Ukraine are becoming more and more of a concern. According to UNHCR, 2.3 million people have fled from Ukraine since the Russian invasion two weeks ago. That number has steadily risen as more and more Russian shelling occurs in the country and civilian areas are targeted. In an interview with the Associated Press, spokesperson Matthew Salzmarsh said UNHCR does not have direct reports of violence and human trafficking against refugees so far but "there is potential for these kind of abuses (...) children being the most vulnerable here." He said UNHCR, other NGOs and the Polish government were, "very much aware of that potential and are on the lookout to try to make sure that it doesn't happen." Salzmarsh said the traumatisation of refugees who have witnessed war and left home with little but what they can carry is also a growing concern to UNHCR. In order to manage the trauma, he said ensuring safe spaces are available for them to "decompress" as well as providing counseling and psychosocial support. On the topic of the resources of the people currently arriving, compared to those that fled in the first days of the war, he thinks many of them don't have the connections or means for a safe and comfortable journey out of the countries bordering Ukraine and onto other nations. The people who arrived initially seemed to have greater means, he said, "they might have had more disposable income. They might have had connections, diaspora, family, friends, that kind of thing." However, as the Russian invasion intensified, those crossing into neighbouring territories seem to have greater needs. "Maybe they just grabbed a bag, grabbed in some cases their pet, or their immediate possessions, and they moved," Salzmarsh said. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
