Poland, the country which hosts the largest number of Ukrainian refugees, has received some 560 million euros in European funds to help with their care, according to a statement from the Commission published on Thursday.
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The European executive has paid a total of 3.5 billion euros to the 27 Member States for the reception of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
These are funds released in advance, from the “
React-EU
” program in favor of cohesion and the territories of Europe, planned as part of the post-Covid recovery plan.
According to the distribution published by Brussels, Poland received 562 million euros, followed by Italy (452 million euros), Romania (450 million), Spain (434 million).
France received 123 million euros.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki complained in an interview with the German newspaper Bild that the EU had "
until
Nearly six out of ten refugees have fled to Poland
This pre-financing should help Member States meet the needs of Ukrainian refugees in terms of food, housing, health, education and access to employment, according to the Commission.
Nearly 5.4 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia invaded on February 24, according to figures from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released Thursday.
Nearly six out of ten, according to the UNHCR, have fled to Poland, which hosts by far the largest number, although some then go to other European countries.
In addition to releasing this €3.5 billion, the EU allows member states to use cohesion funds that were not used during the 2014-2020 budget period.
In total, the funds mobilized to help countries
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Nine Central and Eastern European countries, including Poland and the other three EU countries bordering Ukraine, announced last week their intention to ask the Commission for "
additional funding for Member States hosting a large number of refugees from Ukraine
", believing that flexibility on the cohesion funds
will not "be enough
".
The EU has granted refugees from Ukraine temporary protection status, lasting up to three years, which allows them to work, access housing and access to health and education services.