One Year On: Scouts Continue to Support Ukrainians Displaced by War

3 minutos
Scouts of Ukraine scarf.
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©Egor Andronov Scouts of Ukraine

One year ago, the full-scale war in Ukraine forced millions to leave their lives behind in search of safety elsewhere. Over 8 million refugees have now fled Ukraine, and an additional 6 million people have been internally displaced within the country. 

We recognise the exemplary efforts of Scouts, who have been on the ground and at border crossings since the very beginning, working tirelessly to support Ukrainian families and children as they embarked on uncertain and challenging journeys to countries neighbouring Ukraine.

Through their dedication and hard work, Scouts across Europe and Eurasia are continuing to provide crucial assistance to those being displaced from their homes due to the war. Their humanitarian action includes the provision of food, emergency shelter, medical assistance, and psychological support. At refugee shelters and youth centres, Scouts offer activities that are part of Scouting’s educational approach, which seeks to develop young people into responsible and engaged members of society. By providing opportunities for personal growth, social development, and civic engagement, Scouts can make a positive impact on the lives of young people in these challenging circumstances. National Scout Organizations have integrated hundreds of refugee children into local Scout groups.

We have been able to scale-up our response to this humanitarian crisis, through a regional partnership between the Scout Movement and UNICEF, launched in April 2022, and proud to see that Scout volunteers have now assisted more than 1,000,000 Ukrainians since then. 

Martin Seemann and Sian Bagshaw visit one of the Blue Dots where Scouts are supporting UNICEF and UNHCR.

In addition to their direct assistance, Scouts have also raised awareness about the plight of Ukrainians, emphasising the challenges faced by young Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people and advocating for greater support and resources to help them feel safe and comfortable in their host communities.

As this devastating war enters its second year, Scouts will continue to support Ukrainians in need and integrate young refugees and underrepresented communities in local Scouting, where they can benefit from Scouting’s educational approaches. In the last year, Scouts have demonstrated compassion, resilience, and a commitment to making a lasting positive impact on the lives of those in need.

Scouting has a long and proud history of standing up for peace, justice, and human rights, including the rights of children all around the world, particularly in areas where conflict arises. We remain committed to promoting and strengthening our peacebuilding efforts across the region, as reinforced in the resolution adopted at the 24th European Scout Conference. To do so, the European Scout Region will continue to prioritise preparedness, peace education and strong partnerships for humanitarian action.

 

You can support them to do even more. Make a donation to the World Scout Foundation!

Bank account holder: World Scout Foundation 

Bank account holder address: rue de la Navigation 1, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland 

Bank Name: UBS SA 

Bank address: P.O. Box 2600, 1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland 

IBAN: CH77 0024 0240 7711 3860 T 

Bank account n°: 240-771138.60T 

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