Thursday, February 24th 2022, will be remembered as the day when a new war began in Europe. The rattling of weapons, the threats, and the diplomatic games we have witnessed for months have led to the worst possible outcome – women, children, and men are leaving their homes in Ukraine, and the number of lost human lives is growing. Pictures and news of Russia’s armed attacks on Ukraine once again show the catastrophic consequences of the use of force and aggression but also cause long-term divisions in society that will take a long time to bridge.
The conflict in Ukraine is a consequence of policies that consider the protection of peace, human security, and life to be secondary. Ukraine and its people cannot be left alone at this time. Neighbouring countries, as well as the rest of the EU, have a duty to support refugees and ensure their access to international protection. In order to make it easier for refugees from Ukraine to find shelter, we have gathered information on organizations/activists/individuals active in neighbouring countries that are currently providing direct support to refugees.
If any of your loved ones are in Ukraine and need support, contact the listed organizations. Keep in mind that the situation changes every day! Information can be found here.
In order to support people in Ukraine whose security is threatened and protesters in Russia and around the world in opposition to the ruling regimes that create wars and violence, the Center for Peace Tomorrow (February 26) in Zrinjevac organized Solidarity Action: Enough wars – we want peace! This action was an opportunity to share words of encouragement, hope and resistance to the war in public space. It also called upon the Croatian authorities to take all measures at their disposal to prevent further escalation of the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue policies, guided by the principle of protection of human lives. It is time to learn a lesson from the past: Wars are destroying lives, impoverishing areas and people, leading to crises around the world. Therefore, we clearly and loudly say ENOUGH WARS – WE WANT PEACE!
The importance of establishing safe and legal routes, as well as the importance of protecting the most vulnerable, children, is also reflected in the horrific information received this week. Namely, the BiH Border Police arrested people this week on suspicion of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and the victims were unaccompanied minors. Unfortunately, precisely because of the lack of safe and legal routes and the lack of support from EU member states, thousands of unaccompanied minors are currently trapped at the European Union’s external borders, without access to international protection. With such policies, EU member states directly expose them to additional insecurities and violations of their human and children’s rights.
The situation of refugees on the African continent is as difficult as in the border areas of Europe. Refugees coming to Tunisia have gone through harsh conditions in camps in Libya and are now being expelled from Tunisian camps as UNHCR and their partners have decided to drastically reduce support for people on the move. About the very difficult living conditions in Tunisia and the growing racism that refugees are dealing with there – refugees from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia have been protesting for the past 16 days in front of the UNHCR office in the cities of Zarzis and Medenine in southern Tunisia. There, they face long-term and uncertain asylum procedures, less and less likely relocation procedures, lack of legal aid, repeated violence by the authorities, and less and less prospects of finding work. That is why many European organizations have written an appeal asking the UNHCR to guarantee these people the necessary protection. We join their demands.
Source: CMS
