Ukrainian Refugees: How can you help?

Over 1,735,000 Ukrainian refugees have now arrived in neighbouring countries, with the majority – over one million – currently in Poland (figures correspond to the information at the time of writing this article). It is estimated that 4 million refugees total may flee Ukraine. To assist these Ukrainians, an inter-agency regional response plan is currently being drawn up, involving the UN, NGOs, and other partners in assisting refugee-hosting countries. Other funds such as the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) have already been activated to offer assistance.

Opportunities to help: 

Helping in the Emergency Phase

At the moment, the focus is on both emergency response and registration of refugees, many of whom are waiting for days in freezing temperatures to cross into host countries. Some organisations have already started putting out job adverts for desperately-needed roles such as Emergency Response Coordinators for the refugee crisis. Depending on the conditions that refugees live in, there are anticipated health concerns, such as spikes in COVID-19, polio, and other diseases, which may require both national and international public health support.

For large-scale, sudden-onset humanitarian emergencies such as the Ukraine crisis, many organisations have so-called ‘surge mechanisms’, where they are able to quickly and reliably hire ‘surge staff’ to fill in existing needs on a temporary basis. This can take the form of calls for surge staff on NGO job boards or the creation of local or international surge rosters, which humanitarians can join at any time. The Danish Refugee Council, for example, has rosters with over 1000 experts who can deploy to UN humanitarian operations as needed. The so-called ‘DRC Standby Roster’ has three schemes tailored to refugee situations: the Humanitarian Response Roster, the Resettlement Roster, and the Registration Roster. Many other organisations, including different UN Agencies, have similar rosters that you may have the skillsets to contribute to.

Offering Support in Long-Term Exile and Integration

If, as anticipated, many refugees remain in host countries longer-term, the focus will shift to both social and labour market integration. National positions in refugee-serving INGOs based in countries such as Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova will likely arise in roles offering livelihoods trainings, psychosocial assistance, and language lessons. Children will need to become enrolled in schools, and depending on national laws and how the number of refugees affects educational systems, the humanitarian community may become involved to offer ancillary support. Similarly, WHO and other health agencies may needs job filled in mass vaccination campaigns or to offer other forms of health support.

Enabling Resettlement or Return

If it becomes clear that refugees will not have the opportunity to return to Ukraine in the near future, other countries may begin opening their door through formal resettlement pathways. Resettlement agencies of the United States, Canada, and European Union countries such as Germany may seek positions for fluent Ukrainian speakers, including interpreters for resettlement interviews, or as refugee case managers or coordinators.

Although in reality many refugee situations remain protracted, ideally there will be the option in the coming months or years for those Ukrainian refugees who wish to return home to have the chance to do so safely. At this point of voluntary repatriation, the humanitarian community offers return and reintegration packages to support these refugees. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is often involved in the physical transport of refugees and in cases aspects of their readmission and reintegration. Some national organisations and in some cases INGOs often offer further support such as skills training and micro-finance loans to facilitate labour market re-integration, or in positions like Reintegration Coordinator to help oversee returns.

While we do not yet know how many Ukrainians will become refugees or how long they will stay outside their country, many of their immediate needs are clear. Similarly, if the Ukrainian crises becomes protracted, certain next steps such as helping refugees resume a semblance of normal life through work and school (if national policies allow) will be crucial. Eventually, we hope that many will have the chance to return to a safe home. As the crisis unfolds, understanding sectors and positions where you may have the skill set to assist now or in the future is important in many ways, including remembering that in crises there are always ways to help.

Jamie Castaneda is the Global Emergency Specialist at the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and has extensive experience working in emergencies. In this podcast episode, he describes the tasks that lie ahead when arriving at the frontline, his background that has prepared him for that kind of job, and which skills are needed if one wants to work at the frontline.