Support continues to pour in for Ukrainians in Niagara working around the clock to send aid to their war-torn home country. Now, the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress in Niagara is bracing for the possibility of refugees landing in the region as the war moves on.
“Right now we have absolutely no idea how many might come here,” said branch president Irene Newton, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “People are calling me every day, many are not even Ukrainian, but they say they want to help.”
Newton said no refugees have yet come to the region. But the congress, which has branches in several regions of the country, said it knew of at least two individuals who had managed to reach Toronto.
In the meantime, many locals are hoping to evacuate their families from Ukraine, which has endured fierce fighting for almost two weeks after Russia began shelling civilian targets, such as orphanages and hospitals.
“Two individuals from Niagara are travelling down there to help refugees across the border to Poland," Newton said. "One is already there and the other will be arriving shortly."
Newton, herself Ukrainian, said the past few weeks have been hard and frightening, following widespread reports of an immense civil toll in the fighting.
“Everything Putin has said so far has been a lie," she said. "He is saying he is there to liberate the country from Neo-Nazis, but he keep killing civilians left right and centre. Nothing that comes out of Kremlin is worth believing.“
The UCC has set up an online web form for those interested in helping locally. It can be found here.
