Special newspaper for Ukrainian refugees published in Poland

Feb 28, 2022 | Media, Society

One of Poland’s biggest newspapers has joined forces with a Ukrainian counterpart to prepare a special issue in Ukrainian for refugees escaping the Russian invasion. Copies of the free paper are being handed out today at border crossings and are also available online.

Meanwhile, a leading Polish news website has launched a special Ukrainian section to provide information to help the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing into Poland, and the country’s biggest insurer is offering free car insurance to Ukrainians.

The newspaper is published by Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland’s largest non-tabloid daily, and Ukrainian outlet Ekspres. It features the latest news about the military conflict written by journalists still in Ukraine, as well as practical information for those arriving in Poland, including details of asylum procedures.

The issue is to being handed out near border crossings and at railway stations in eastern Poland and in Warsaw, where many refugees arrive. It can also be downloaded for free here.

“This special edition…has been prepared by us, journalists from the Ukrainian daily Ekspres, in cooperation with our colleagues from Gazeta Wyborcza in one day,” said Uliana Vitiuk, Ekspres‘s editor-in-chief.

The aim is to provide information in order to support “tens of thousands of our fellow citizens who were forced to leave their homes to seek shelter from the war,” Vitiuk explained.

Łukasz Kijek, editor-in-chief of Gazeta.pl, which is part of the same media group as Gazeta Wyborcza, said that he believes making the issue available online will provide support and help for “those Ukrainians who are already in Poland or will soon come here and will have to settle into the new, difficult situation”.

Separately, Onet, one of Poland’s most popular news websites, has launched a Ukrainian section providing information published in Ukrainian to help people arriving in the country, including contact information for organisations offering free legal, medical and psychological support.

Meanwhile, Poland’s largest insurance company, state-owned PZU, has announced that it will cover the cost of insurance premiums for 30 days for Ukrainian citizens. The initiative is intended to help those fleeing across the border who lack compulsory insurance in Poland.

“This is important support, because we take responsibility for any damage, the huge costs of which would probably be impossible to cover by refugees who do not have compulsory third party liability insurance,” said PZU’s CEO, Beata Kozłowska-Chyła, quoted by Bankier.

Her firm is also operating a helpline set up by the health ministry to provide access for Ukrainians to the insurer’s doctors. PZU has also committed to providing accommodation, medical care and other support to the families of its Ukrainian employees who flee to Poland.

Poland has been the primary destination for the hundreds of thousands of people seeking to flee Ukraine since Russia invaded. As of this morning, 280,000 people had crossed the border into Poland, according to official data.

Poland has set up reception points for refugees, who are provided with food, medical aid and information. A helpline has also been set up (+48 22 523 88 80 for Polish citizens and those with a Pole’s Card (Karta Polaka) and +48 47 721 75 75 for citizens of Ukraine) as well as online resources for those seeking assistance.

Municipalities around Poland have declared their willingness to host refugees, and a number of aid organisations, including the Polish Red Cross (PCK) and the Polish Centre for International Aid (PCPM), have launched fundraising campaigns to help Ukraine and its people.

Poland condemns “fake news” that it is turning away non-white people fleeing Ukraine

Main image credit: Patryk Ogorzalek / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

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