The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Ukraine: Helpers bring refugees to Germany and Poland

2022-03-10T08:52:46.744Z


Two brothers from Brandenburg want to pick up refugees from the Polish-Ukrainian border in their van. But that's more complicated than I thought - and emotionally challenging. Who can you take with you?


AreaRead the video transcript expand here

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


“I don't know if you can prepare for it.

Maybe I'm totally naive right now, or maybe we're totally naive, we're driving there now and thinking: we'll put a few people in our car and drive them there.

We have to do something, that was my feeling.«

Seven o'clock in the morning on the A13 near Berlin - event manager Alexander Walter and his brother Sebastian, leader of the Left Party in Brandenburg, have donations for refugees on board a family van.

Her plan is still to arrive at the Polish-Ukrainian border in eight hours, unload the relief supplies and drive straight back to bring refugees to safety in Poland or Germany.

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


“We already have the border crossing there, which

we will see again tonight if everything goes well.”

A first break - time to get organized.

The brothers are in constant contact with both a private volunteer network and a helper on the border with Ukraine.

It is already clear that her plan is changing.

It won't be the last time.

Short update for the helper network.

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»I just wanted to say that we are going somewhere else now.

Our goal has changed, so to speak.

Then the contact wrote again that we had to go somewhere else.«

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"After Chelm."

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"After what?"

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"To Chelm, that's kind of an hour away."

According to the UN refugee agency, more than two million people have fled to Ukraine's neighboring countries since the beginning of the war - most to Poland.

It is the largest refugee movement in Europe since the Second World War - which has triggered a large wave of willingness to help.

In addition to train and bus companies that offer free travel for refugees, numerous private individuals like the two brothers also help to take people away from the border region - at their own expense.

Meanwhile, the Walters are almost there.

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»We have now covered 872 kilometers, drove almost nine hours, 8:58 hours.

So we've got a bit behind us, and we still have something ahead of us, so the day won't end today.«

It's almost 7 p.m.

Sebastian and Alexander Walter are still planning to return on the same day.

You seem energetic, but also tense, a bit nervous.

After all, they don't know what awaits them at the border - and how well thought out their relief effort really is.

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"It's a bit annoying that we only arrive after dark."

Helper Lilia Reuss welcomes the brothers in the border town of Chelm.

Lilia Reuß, helper in Chelm:


"We had extremely good connections yesterday."

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"You told me, yes."

Lilia Reuss, helper in Chelm:


»Seven buses to Kraków within a very short night.

I haven't slept since last night because there were so many ways to send people on."

The Ukrainian, who lives in Cottbus, has been coordinating the onward journey of the refugees on a voluntary basis for four days.

Now she is distributing the donations from Germany.

It helps that she speaks German, Polish and Ukrainian.

With the donation, the first goal for the brothers has been achieved: a short time to breathe deeply.

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»Phew.͏«

Although it is a rather quiet day in the sports hall, buses with refugees keep arriving – they are almost exclusively women and children.

Some only stay a few hours, others sleep in one of the 360 ​​beds.

For many, it is the first place they find peace after fleeing Ukraine.

Also for Christiana Yanitskaya.

The 32-year-old arrived just a few minutes ago.

Christina Yanitskaya, Ukrainian from Korosten:


»I am here with two children, eleven months and six years old, and with my girlfriends.

Today we're staying here, we're sleeping here because we're just too tired.

And we have small children.

We'll take a look tomorrow.«

For Yanitskaya, like for all other refugees, things continue from Chelm - to safe cities in Poland or other European countries.

There are enough potential passengers for Alexander and Sebastian Walter, but people prefer to get on the big buses than in a minivan with two unknown men.

Lilia Reuß, helper in Chelm:


“They are unsure, they have just crossed the border, sometimes they are on the road for up to three days, or four days at the border, or 15 hours or half an hour.

They are overwhelmed by the war, this psychological burden is simply unbelievable.

It's difficult to deal with, just a snap of your fingers or a bang is enough, then the tears run down.«

After about two hours it is clear that no one is getting on with the brothers today.

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»Ciao.«

In the meantime, the two have been on the road for more than 15 hours, they are exhausted and disappointed - and still spend the night in a hotel.

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


“I said yes this morning, maybe we are just totally naive, and this sentence is going through my head right now, so the trip itself is not naive, I was naive too believe you can go there and back in a day.«

The Walter brothers do not yet know whether and from where they will be able to take refugees with them tomorrow.

Voice message: "Hello, we are here now and have met five people, three adults and two children, we are taking them to Berlin."

A new plan is needed the next morning, and a brief briefing.

During the night, members of their helper network picked up people from a border town an hour and a half away.

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"That's what it looks like there, where Lena was yesterday."

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"In Młyny?"

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»In Młyny, yes.«

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"Then we'll go there."

Arrived at the help center.

Here the search for passengers starts all over again.

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»We want to help.

We have six seats in our car to Kraków.«

Helper:


"Krakow?"

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"Yes."

Now everything goes very quickly.

Slava Fedotov, refugee from Ukraine:


»I am an American citizen, this is my wife and this is her sister.

They are Ukrainians.

Can you take us with you, I have a hotel room in Kraków.«

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»Yes, of course.«

Slava Fedotov, refugee from Ukraine:


»We left Kiev at 6 a.m. yesterday and just crossed the border at 8 a.m.

We haven't slept.'

Alexander Walter,

civil refugee helper from Berlin:


"You can sleep."

Slava Fedotov, refugee from Ukraine:


"We're cold."

Alexander Walter,

civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»We have a warm car.«

Oksana Korniyenko, refugee from Ukraine:


»My friend and her daughter.«

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»Come with me.

Oh, with a dog.

Hello."

The group is complete less than 20 minutes after arrival – six people and a dog want to go to Kraków.

DER SPIEGEL:


"How do you feel now?"

Olha Horobets, refugee from Kiev:


"Safer than in Kiev."

Slava Fedotov, refugee from Ukraine:


»At least no sirens.

No bombing, no soldiers running around outside.

We don't have to sleep in the subway station at night.«

Slava Fedotov, refugee from Kiev:


»We are happy to be here and to go to Kraków.

Other than that, we're very tired."

Shortly after departure, there is silence in the van.

The goals of the people in the car are different.

Some want to go to the USA or Switzerland.

Vlada plans to go to Sweden with her mother and a family friend.

Friends live there.

Giving up her home country is obviously difficult for the 15-year-old.

Vlada, refugee from Ukraine:


»I just want to go back home and it's really hard because I don't know what to do with my education, I'm in the ninth grade, I'm so sad that Ukrainian schoolgirls and students... They have a future, but it's really hard to find a way for them to continue their education to find their destiny.«

Arrival in Krakow.

In a hotel, everyone can find a place to rest.

Slava Fedotov, refugee from Kyiv;


“We just want a hot shower and then to bed.

And peace in the Ukraine, of course.«

The day before, the two brothers' network of helpers established contact with a Ukrainian family that is already in Kraków.

Now she's driving to Berlin in the van, but doesn't want to be filmed.

As soon as everyone has boarded, it's off to the Autobahn towards Germany.

After a total of around 40 hours and more than 2000 kilometers, Alexander and Sebastian Walter are back in Berlin.

The trip was chaotic, the brothers underestimated many of the hurdles that private helpers face.

In the end, they did achieve something good.

Sebastian Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»We have now simply seen that we were able to help ten people, that they are somehow a bit safer now, away from the border.«

Alexander Walter, civil refugee helper from Berlin:


»It really affects you, it definitely affects me, I can hardly put it into words at the moment, especially the situation on site when we were in front of the big camp.

These are moments that, I think, will only be processed better in the next few days.«

The brothers don't know yet whether they will drive to the border again.

That depends on the need – and on how the professional relief efforts are started.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-03-10

You may like

News/Politics 2024-03-02T11:04:27.589Z
News/Politics 2024-03-13T08:13:00.969Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-27T16:45:54.081Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.