Months of escalating hostility towards Ukraine have culminated in a concerted invasion of the country and the launch of military attacks across multiple cities in Ukraine starting from February 24th, 2022. As of March 26, 2022, an estimated 2.2M people have fled to Poland from Ukraine. Many have been welcomed by the Ukrainian diaspora in Poland, many more are being hosted by Polish families, and the rest reside in recently established shelters and reception centers. While the Polish government, Polish NGOs, UN agencies, and local civil society actors have provided multisectoral relief across the country, this rapid needs assessment aims to better understand the priority needs, vulnerabilities, and barriers to accessing information, services, and humanitarian support that people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine face in Poland, including those experienced by groups with heightened vulnerability.  This assessment will be used to inform the IRC’s strategic response to these displaced populations in Poland and will be widely shared with the overall humanitarian community, including with Polish civil society and governmental bodies who have provided rapid and much needed relief to people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. 

The IRC (International Rescue Committee) in Phoenix received an increased number of Afghan refugees beginning in August of 2021, after the Taliban regained control of the region. In response to that, we were one of eight RAI (Resettlement, Asylum & Integration) offices who were granted funding to launch a new wellness program, Salamati Rohi, to support our Afghan clients.

In 2022, the IRC in Silver Spring supported over 150 Ukrainians who came to the U.S. since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While each newcomer has a different story, they share in the experience of fleeing their home country for fear of violence and persecution. In recognition of the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, we spoke with client, Zhumaima, who came to the U.S. in July 2022 after leaving Ukraine.

For many elderly migrants, there are limitations they face in accessing legal knowledge. They sometimes need tailored language and digital support to navigate systems, including legal applications. Morris heard about the IRC in NY and asked for the Immigration Department's help with his mom's naturalization application. They were worried about the knowledge test because his mom could not read or write.  

The IRC’s 2022-2024 strategy for Iraq

Forced to flee Venezuela and later Argentina due to political persecution, Jorge discovered a passion for coffee that led him to launch BravePro LLC, a mobile specialty coffee business, after resettling in the U.S. With support from IRC Atlanta and a loan through the Center for Economic Opportunity, he expanded his business to reach new heights. Jorge now hopes to make BravePro a household name and is deeply grateful to the IRC for helping turn his vision into reality.

IRC in NJ: Stronger with Community Sponsorship

Methodological Recommendations were developed as part of the project "I Know. I Can. I Practice: strengthening women's initiatives to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in local communities during armed conflict." The project is led by the Ukrainian Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations to Combat Human Trafficking, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).