Length of war and inflation erode solidarity with Ukrainians in Eastern Europe

This week on Facebook, Ruslana Hrytskiv asked for a donation of shoes for twin children, refugees from Ukraine in the Czech Republic, but its publication only sparked a debate about the hygienic contraindications to wearing second-hand shoes. He maintained that the mother of these children had no money to buy clothes for them, but his explanations did not convince anyone.

“Reactions to requests are slower. At the beginning of the conflict, people were incredibly reactive”, explains Mrs. Hrytskiv, a Ukrainian who has lived in the Czech Republic for more than twenty years. Since the February 24 Russian invasion, Ruslana has helped “tens, maybe hundreds” of refugees.

Ms. Hrystkiv’s observation is in line with that of many humanitarian organizations in Eastern Europe. The countries of this region host hundreds of thousands of refugees from the conflict, mainly women with children. Like the rest of Europe, the area is affected by inflation, which forces families to restrict their spending.

“The will to help has diminished since the beginning of the war”observes Eszter Bakondi Kiss, a volunteer with the Hungarian NGO Habitat for Humanity, which coordinated a shelter program for refugees. As for the Slovak NGO People In Need, donations are falling. They went from 650,000 euros in February and March to 85,000 for the month of May, announced their spokesperson Simona Stiskalova.

“Poverty threatens a growing part of the population” of the Czech Republic, notes sociologist Daniel Prokop. “In this context, there are fears that support for Ukraine will substitute for aid to local populations,” Explain.

Chronicle of the AFP agency in Prague.