World unites to help Ukraine

ALL HANDS ON DECK Mikhail Luzan sorting through some of the hundreds of bags of donations that were left into the Candle of Grace Chernobyl children’s charity headquarters in Islandeady last week. A truck full of the donations left Islandeady for Poland last Friday afternoon.  Pic: Karen Cox

Mayo homes start opening their doors to refugees, while Irish Red Cross campaign continues

We are now just over a week trying to come to terms with the enormity of the events taking place in Ukraine and the shocking hardship that has been forced on its people due to the catastrophic invasion announced by Vladamir Putin and Russia.
Over a million have fled and many more continue to try to leave the war torn country. As detailed in our lead story this week, some of those refugees have now arrived in our own county.
These people have to find somewhere to lay their heads, and on Monday, the Irish Red Cross  stated they have received over 2,000 pledges from the public for spare rooms and vacant properties to help shelter the Ukrainian refugees. Fifty of those pledges have been from people living in Mayo.
To pledge a room or property, visit registerofpledges.redcross.ie. The Irish Red Cross is continuing to ask people from all over the country for any help they can give.
Irish Red Cross Secretary General Liam O’Dwyer explains: “Welcoming refugees to Ireland is something the Irish Red Cross has been doing for more than 50 years including from countries like Vietnam, Hungary, Syria and Afghanistan.
“In 2015 during the height of the Syrian conflict the Government agreed to take in 4,000 Syrian refugees and on arrival gave them protection status, and we were privileged to lend assistance here along with the UNHCR.
“Part of our brief here was to build a relationship with a specific group of refugees, learning what their needs and plans were and working to match them with pledged and private rented accommodation throughout Ireland.
“Typically with this humanitarian work the Irish Red Cross case workers connect refugees with the hosting families and keep in touch to ensure their education or work plans develop properly.
“At the end of the pledge the case workers helped the refugee access either private rented accommodation or a social house. Our programme is currently working with and accommodating refugees from Afghanistan and are currently preparing for refugees due to arrive from Lebanon.
“Our strong record and experience accommodating and supporting the integration of refugees in communities around Ireland along with the recognition of the Red Cross symbol really gives them confidence in us.”

Brutal bloodshed
Every industry is doing what it can to highlight the need for humanitarian aid, and the Red Cross Appeal has garnered over €9 million in Ireland since the appeal began.
This week, the Local Ireland news publishers’ group is running free one-pages adverts (see the back page of this edition) in support of the Irish Red Cross Ukraine appeal. As President of Local Ireland Declan McGuire explains, local newspapers across the country want to do their bit to help.
“We are witnessing an appalling human tragedy in Ukraine, and like many other organisations we wanted to do something to help. We are appealing to our readers in print and online to support the Irish Red Cross appeal so that resources can be deployed as soon as possible to help those in need.
“Local Ireland is offering its network of 42 news publishers around Ireland to support the national fundraising effort,” said Mr McGuire.
So if you haven’t yet, please do give what you can to the Irish Red Cross. Even better still, add your name to the register of pledges if you can help house some of the many thousands of refugees who are will be arriving on our shores in the coming weeks.
We can only pray that this is a short conflict. However, as things stand, Vladimir Putin is not for turning, and western leaders must continue to sanction Russia for its brutal bloodshed.