Year with Ukraine: Help for 20,000 Refugees

A year ago, on 24 February 2022, the Russian war against Ukraine erupted, spurring a wave of refugees bound for other countries, including the Czech Republic. Since the beginning of the crisis, Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague has taken part in providing relief to people fleeing the warzone. 

The catastrophic events of an unprecedented magnitude have placed large numbers of people into a dire humanitarian situation. „For Caritas, the past year has been one of the most difficult times in its history. Despite that, however, we have been able to organize extensive, comprehensive relief within a very short time,“ explains Jaroslav Němec, Director of Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague.

During the initial phase, relief efforts focused on securing basic needs – food, accommodation, healthcare, and medicines. Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague provided food aid to more than 18,000 refugees and found shelter for over 3,000.

Helping children cope with traumatic events

Subsequently, Caritas offered psychological counseling and organized community and adaptation activities as well as Czech language courses. The objective was to help Ukrainians integrate into Czech society, facilitate children’s entry into the Czech education system, and assist adults with finding employment.

Community centers and adaptation groups helped children come to terms with atrocities they had experienced. „The kids were drawing pictures of soldiers and tanks and building bomb shelters and hospitals from Lego. They were telling one another what their dads who stayed behind in Ukraine were doing,“ recounts pediatric psychologist Alexandra, who worked with Ukrainian children.

One of the first integration projects in Prague was the Sunflower Community Center opened by Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague in partnership with the Borough of Prague 6. The facility is located in the Church of St. Vojtěch in Prague 6, a part of the Archbishop Seminary. In addition, five children’s groups and the St. Anežka Community Center were later established.

Eighty new workers and hundreds of volunteers

Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague has been helping refugees and immigrants for more than 20 years. „The refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine has necessitated all of our organization’s resources to be put into action. In addition, we have had to hire 80 new specialists, including psychologists, social workers, teachers, interpreters, coordinators, office staff, doctors, and a priest. Moreover, an irreplaceable role has been played by hundreds of volunteers and thousands of generous donors,“ Němec enumerates. „All of the things we do for Ukrainians are done on top of our regular work. That is to say that the assistance we provide to Czech citizens in need has not been reduced, quite the contrary.“

Social and spiritual help continues

A year after the onset of the tragic events in Ukraine, Caritas has not relented in efforts to deliver relief. „We continue providing specialized social assistance to refugees who are one of the most vulnerable groups. Our facilities and apartments provide accommodation for as many as 300 people. In addition, we continue organizing adaptation groups,“ reports Němec.

The spiritual dimension is an integral part of Caritas‘ work. Every Sunday at 9:00 a.m., a Greek Catholic Ukrainian mass is celebrated in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Cajetan.