UKRAINE

On February 24, 2022, Russia began a full-scale offensive against Ukraine. Since then, the figures have been staggering: 300,000 dead, 8 million Ukrainians refugees throughout Europe and 5 million internally displaced persons. Right from the start of this invasion, BSF has mobilized to protect, support and guide Ukrainian inhabitants, displaced persons and refugees, in the country and throughout Europe.

In Ukraine, five Ideas Boxes have been set up in Lviv, Drohobytch, Vinnytsia, Boutcha and Dnipro. Run by local players, they offer displaced families a moment’s escape from their ordeals and contribute to their well-being. They find a reassuring place in which they can draw the energy they need to keep hoping. Five other Ideas Boxes are deployed on the country’s borders, in Poland and Moldavia.

Thirty-one “emergency libraries” have also been set up by BSF in reception centers, shelters, health centers and schools in France, Belgium and Italy. For these families waiting for their situation to stabilize, these welcoming spaces enable them to meet, enjoy themselves, familiarize themselves with the local language and culture, and give them access to all the information they need to exercise their rights, access housing or find a job.