Cash assistance is allowing refugees from Ukraine to make their own decisions about what they need most after arriving in Poland and other countries in the region.
The European Union’s decision to offer temporary protection status to people fleeing the war in Ukraine means refugees can access social services and the labour market without having to go through lengthy asylum procedures. But the process of registering so many refugees will take time.
UNHCR’s cash assistance programme aims to help refugees like Rozalia cover their most urgent and immediate needs until they can find work or receive social support. It has the added benefit of feeding back into the local economy when refugees buy the things they need, or even pay rent.