The Russian Red Cross has already helped a million refugees and IDPs affected by the Ukrainian crisis

Since February 2022, one million refugees and displaced persons have received assistance from the Russian Red Cross (RKK). This was told by the chairman of the organization Pavel Savchuk. He noted that, according to various estimates, from 2.8 million to 5.3 million people arrived in Russia during this time.

The vast majority (about three-quarters) of those who received support from the RKK needed humanitarian assistance – food, clothing and hygiene items. Such kits were received by 640,000 people, which is 62.5% of the total. Another 91.5 thousand people received vouchers for pharmacies, grocery stores and clothing stores. 91.3 thousand people received material payments from RSC in the amount of 5 thousand to 15 thousand rubles. depending on the size and composition of the family.

In addition to humanitarian and material voucher assistance, the Russian Red Cross provides psychosocial support to refugees and IDPs from Ukraine and Donbass. Since February 18, 2022, 96,890 people have received such assistance.

Another 5,894 people received support at the mobile help center of the Russian Red Cross in the Belgorod region. Here, refugees and displaced persons applied for material benefits and restoration of family ties, received vouchers, humanitarian aid, psychosocial support and SIM cards at a reduced rate. In total, since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, 9,000 people have received such SIM cards. In addition, 5.3 thousand people were trained in first aid.

“Kommersant” said that since May, the RKK has been providing material assistance – from 5 thousand to 15 thousand rubles – to residents of the Belgorod region, evacuated from border villages deep into the region. RKK estimates that 2,000 families can count on payments. Previously, such assistance was provided only to migrants from Ukraine and new Russian territories. If the program in the Belgorod region works successfully, RKK promises to scale it up to other regions bordering Ukraine.

Earlier in an interview with Kommersant (see issue of December 26, 2022) Pavel Savchuk said that as part of the response to the Ukrainian crisis, the RKK raised 455 million rubles, of which 195 million – within the country and about 260 million – through the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Natalia Kostarnova