10/05/2022 Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
“Cooperation and coordination between the central, regional and local levels is key to ensuring that the needs of more than 5 million refugees and 7 to 9 million IDPs are met in the medium and long term,” said Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), rapporteur on “the humanitarian consequences and internal and external migration in connection with the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine”, at the end of a field visit to Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania from 4 to 7 May 2022.
“International support is essential to help the Ukrainian authorities cope with the huge number of persons who are not able to return home because of the war and destruction,” he added.
The rapporteur stated that neighbouring countries should also be supported in their efforts to provide shelter and integration to Ukrainians fleeing the war. “The needs range from basic requirements, such as food and clothes, toiletries, beds and bedding, to infrastructure, such as sewage, water and garbage services. Long-term accommodation is a priority as the schools hosting IDPs will have to be reopened to ensure access to education,” he underlined.
Previously, Mr Fridez met with civil society representatives in Warsaw on 21 April. The objective of the visits was to gather first-hand information from all the international and national actors dealing with refugees from and IDPs in Ukraine. IOM in Slovakia, the national parliamentary delegations of Romania and Ukraine and the Council of Europe Office in Warsaw provided support to both missions.