Anyone wishing to help can donate in euros, dollars and Polish zlotys, using Polish bank accounts set up for the purpose, Ukrainian Paralympic officials said.
Helping people with disabilities amid Russian invasion
Ever since Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine on February 24, the country’s National Centre for Paralympic Preparations has provided shelter to people fleeing the war from Kharkiv, Mariupol, Dnipro and many other cities and regions.
Located near the Polish border, the facility now hosts some 300 internally displaced Ukrainians, including people with disabilities, children and the elderly, officials told reporters.
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine moves into its third month, the Paralympic Committee is running out of money for basic necessities, such as electricity, fuel and medicines.
Refugees also lack food, clothing and hygiene products, according to the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee.
'They can't run away from war'
Moreover, funds are needed to bring more of Ukraine’s disability community, including Paralympic athletes, to the centre, to help them survive the horrors of war.
Those who are wheelchair-bound, visually impaired or suffer from intellectual disability “can’t simply run away” from the mass bombing of civilian areas and other dangers of war, said Valeriy Sushkevich, who leads the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee.
Appeal to Polish people
The Ukrainian organisation has teamed up with its Polish counterpart to appeal to the Polish public for financial and other assistance “in this unimaginably horrible time.”
“Today we can show our solidarity with people with disabilities,” said Sushkevich.
Łukasz Szeliga, the CEO of the Polish Paralympic Committee, said: “Even a small sum may help a lot.”
Those wishing to contact Ukraine’s Paralympic Committee may call press attaché Nataliia Harach at: +380937711064.
The bank accounts for donations are listed on the Polish Paralympic Committee’s website.
(pm/gs)
Source: paralympic.org.pl, paralympic.org.ua