Many Ukrainians who have fled to foreign countries after the start of hostilities have spent up all their savings and are currently facing mounting debts and the inability to meet basic needs by their own, Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen, a representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2023) Many Ukrainians who have fled to foreign countries after the start of hostilities have spent up all their savings and are currently facing mounting debts and the inability to meet basic needs by their own, Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen, a representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said on Friday.
"People outside of Ukraine are struggling financially. They have used up their savings now and lots of them have mounting debts. In many countries, the Red Cross Societies are providing cash assistance to people in need. People use this for food and for rent. And 41% of the people receiving this support is depending on us, on the Red Cross, to (meet) their basic needs," Bischoff, who serves as the IFRC regional director for Europe, told a press conference.
She also said that Ukrainian refugees had been struggling to participate in everyday life, go to school, get a job and access to health care due to the language barrier.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine. The UN refugee agency has registered almost 22 million border crossings from Ukraine since the start of hostilities. Up to 8.25 million Ukrainian refugees have been recorded across Europe, as of May 23, 2023.
