Touched by the distress of the Ukrainians who have been living for two weeks under the bombs or on the way to exile, many individuals are ready to do a lot to help them. With a monetary donation, offering to house them here, sometimes even expressing the desire to go there to lend a hand. However, some initiatives are not always successful, observers believe.
Posted yesterday at 8:00 a.m.
“I make the assumption that everyone has good intentions, but good intentions are not enough,” says François Audet, director of the Canadian Observatory on Humanitarian Crises and Action, affiliated with the University of Quebec to Montreal.
On March 3, the Dr Julien Auger, a family doctor from Saint-Jérôme, spontaneously went to Poland, where he found a job as a doctor in the medical tent of a refugee camp on the border with Ukraine. Countless volunteers driven by the feeling of having to do something have taken the same path, as have hundreds of independent journalists who want to tell this historic conflict…
François Audet, who worked for fifteen years in humanitarian action, strongly criticizes this kind of initiative. “It’s quite naive to think that, in a context of conflict like this, with millions of refugees at a border, we are going to make ourselves useful. On the contrary, with the few resources that there are, the little space for the refugees, we will take resources, housing, food, water. This is what happened in Haiti, he recalls, where people wanting to help with the reconstruction finally harmed the work of the organizations on the spot.
He also cites the security risks to which those who will travel to Ukrainian territory are exposed. “It is an armed conflict. There is a risk that they will be taken prisoner. How much is it going to cost us to get them out of there? »
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
François Audet, Director of the Canadian Observatory on Humanitarian Crises and Action and Professor at the School of Management Sciences of the University of Quebec in Montreal
The best way to help, according to him, remains through monetary donations paid to recognized organizations that are able to transform them into food, medicine, accommodation or other, “according to the needs on the ground. and not what we have too much in our wardrobe”.
Many people seem to have understood this. The Canadian Red Cross, for example, has raised more than $62 million in the country to date. “We are very grateful for the trust and generosity of people and businesses here,” says Carole Du Sault, director of communications at the Canadian Red Cross.
Some nevertheless join the Canadian Red Cross in the hope of going there. “Yes, there are people who come forward, who ask what they can do,” says Mme From the Sault. But the Red Cross will not send “spontaneous volunteers” to the region. “If people want to volunteer, they are asked to go through the application process. We then get in touch with them to see what their interest is and see if they have any particular skills,” she explains.
Money to Ukrainians
Helping refugees who have fled Ukraine is great, but according to Kate Bahen, executive director of Charity Intelligence Canada, an organization that aims to help people make informed decisions about their donations, it’s better to focus on charities who are able to quickly use the money in Ukrainian territory.
The refugees are exhausted and they are in distress, but they are safe. Our support can do the most good for the 42 million people inside Ukraine.
Kate Bahen, Executive Director of Charity Intelligence Canada,
Among the organizations present in Ukraine or which send donations there, she lists Doctors Without Borders, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and the Ukrainian Red Cross, an entity independent of its Canadian counterpart and to which Canadians can make donations, without however obtaining tax receipts.
PHOTO FABRIZIO BENSCH, REUTERS
Refugees arrive at the border checkpoint in Medyka, Poland, after fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The money from the Relief Fund: Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine will be entirely given to the Ukrainian Red Cross and those of neighboring countries for the reception of refugees, assures Carole Du Sault, of the Canadian Red Cross. When needs arise in Ukraine, the other national Red Crosses transfer the funds as they arise, adds the spokesperson.
In addition, Kate Bahen finds the idea of reserving accommodation offered on Airbnb in Ukraine particularly brilliant and innovative to offer direct help to the population. Two days after the start of the movement, more than 60,000 homes had been reserved. “Having capital, money, is what helps people the most through a crisis. We’ve never seen this before, we don’t have a track record, but it’s innovative. No transaction fees [Airbnb a levé ses frais de service]. Money from my wallet to someone in Ukraine. »
Welcoming refugees
Because they want to get personally involved, thousands of Quebecers also want to host Ukrainian refugees. The initiative of lawyer Alexandre Dufresne alone, who started a Facebook group to find volunteers, has collected more than 3,500 names, although for now no one knows exactly how many Ukrainian refugees will land. in Quebec or when. Ottawa has not yet given all the information about their status in the country. Those wishing to assist Ukrainians upon arrival can also register with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
“It’s a great testimony of solidarity, it’s magnificent, and it has to be done”, especially in a context of housing shortage, underlines Anait Aleksanian, director general of the Support Center for Immigrant Communities, in Montreal. .
But it is a commitment that should not be taken lightly. “It’s also a lot of work,” says M.me Aleksanian, who not only mentions the clothing and food needs of the refugees, but also the administrative procedures, the enrollment of children in school, etc. “Fortunately, there is an integration structure in Quebec and those who welcome refugees can go to any organization like ours for free support. »
And if the arrival of the Ukrainians is slow, it may be worth remembering that hundreds of refugees have already been in Quebec since the reopening of Roxham Road last fall. It is therefore also possible to offer immediate help.
What about item donations?
Since the beginning of the war, several organizations, including Ukrainian churches in Montreal, have appealed for donations of clothing, medicine and hygiene products in particular. The president of the Quebec section of the Congress of Ukrainian Canadians, Michael Shwec, assures that the goods collected will be sent to Ukraine. Some donations will also be offered to refugees when they arrive in Canada.
Given the logistical and transportation challenge that this represents, cash donations should be preferred.
Money is easier. We can buy the goods in Europe instead of sending them from here.
Michael Shwec, president of the Quebec branch of the Congress of Ukrainian Canadians
An opinion shared by François Audet. “There are experiments that show that the donation of material works very badly,” he explains. For Syria, for example, we ended up with containers full of stuff of all kinds, surplus consumption from here that was not at all in harmony with the needs there. »
“People in Poland have a lot of clothes, people in Romania too,” adds Kate Bahen. Give them money and let them choose the clothes they want. What about medical items? “There are medical supplies in Europe. We don’t need to send boxes of bandages from Canada! »
Where to give?
The Canadian Red Cross has set up the Relief Fund: Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine. The collected donations are sent to the Ukrainian Red Cross and to those of neighboring countries. You can also donate directly to the Ukrainian Red Cross (without a tax receipt).
The Canada-Ukraine Foundation collects monetary donations to bring food and medicine to Ukraine.
The Quebec Provincial Council of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress is collecting names of people wishing to help welcome refugees. He will also soon launch a campaign to raise funds for these refugees.
Doctors Without Borders has teams in Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. In Ukraine, the charity distributed sets for war casualties and trained local surgeons in trauma care.