Advertisement
News

Street papers unite in solidarity and support of those fleeing Ukraine after invasion

Street papers in Eastern Europe and around the world are standing in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

As Russia invades Ukraine, street papers in Eastern Europe and around the world are standing in solidarity with the Ukrainian people’s right to democracy and in support of all those who may flee.

More than a million people may leave Ukraine to seek refuge in neighbouring nations like Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, according to Reuters. High levels of poverty, unemployment, homelessness and displacement in the country mean people were already struggling to live and access basic needs.

The International Network of Street Papers has said it is “deeply concerned for these vulnerable communities, the innocent lives under threat and the humanitarian crisis unfolding alongside the conflict”.

“We are horrified and moved by the situation in Ukraine,” said Dagmara Szlandrowicz of Gazeta Uliczna in Poland. “Suddenly, we witnessed the beginning of a new war and the violation of peace or a sense of security. Today we express our solidarity, friendship and fraternity with the people of Ukraine. We will organise possible forms of help and support. We are with you.”

Patrycja Zenker, the Polish street paper’s editor-in-chief, added: “Despite the information that Russia was planning to attack Ukraine, many of us did not believe that it was possible in the modern world. We conjured up reality, believing in historical memory, in diplomacy, in reason. Therefore, the war that began today came as a surprise to us.

“Many Ukrainians live and work in Poland – they did not come to it as war refugees. Most of them came to a pre-arranged job. Today, the situation has changed dramatically – we expect that those people who are already in Poland will be joined by their families, that from the areas attacked by Russia, their inhabitants will get to the west of Ukraine and to the Polish border. We know that many of them do not have passports, so it will not be possible to legally cross the border and stay. We are waiting for the position of the Polish authorities and the relevant regulations.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“Many organizations offer support in the form of translators, places for short-term residence, legal advice, psychological support. We display Ukrainian flags at our headquarters, wear them on our hearts and on our photos on social media profiles. We look for reliable sources of information and share them. That’s all we can do today.”

Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers

Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recommended for you

Read All
'Dismay' for disabled and vulnerable households as average annual energy bills to rise to £1,738
Blue flames from a gas hob
Energy bills

'Dismay' for disabled and vulnerable households as average annual energy bills to rise to £1,738

Malala Yousafzai on taking on the Taliban and why 'storytelling is the soul of activism'
Malala Yousafzai
Activism

Malala Yousafzai on taking on the Taliban and why 'storytelling is the soul of activism'

Mum-of-three hit with 'revenge eviction' after asking for repairs: 'It felt like the end of the world'
Hazell and her three kids faced homelessness until Shelter stepped in
Renting

Mum-of-three hit with 'revenge eviction' after asking for repairs: 'It felt like the end of the world'

Winter fuel benefit cuts will send pensioners to hospital, DWP warned: 'It's a political choice'
a view from above of an older person with white hair eating out of a pot
Winter fuel payment

Winter fuel benefit cuts will send pensioners to hospital, DWP warned: 'It's a political choice'

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue