Facts
A total of
114,603
people in need received our assistance in 2023.
Humanitarian overview
There are two humanitarian responses in Poland – the response for refugees from Ukraine, and the response for migrants and refugees crossing into Poland from Belarus.
For the Ukraine response, approximately one million refugees are registered for temporary protection in Poland. Despite the enabling legal environment and their access to social assistance, nearly half struggle to cover their basic needs. Moreover, hosting fatigue is increasing after two years and refugees are facing rising inflation and scarcity of affordable housing. Current changes planned for the temporary protection measures in the EU and Poland have increased refugees’ anxiety around the uncertainty of their futures in Poland. All these factors could prompt premature and unsafe returns to Ukraine, where the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) still advises against return.
Migrants crossing into Poland from Belarus face great hardships at the border and in the forests between the formal Polish and Belarussian border crossings, in addition to challenges in obtaining timely and accurate legal information on asylum and legal stay.
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6,296people benefited from our education programme
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38,234people benefited from our food security programme
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38,234people benefited from our shelter programme
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38,234people benefited from our protection programme
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70,073people benefited from our ICLA programme
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38,234people benefited from our WASH programme
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1,713people benefited from other NRC activities
NRC's operations
In Poland, NRC works entirely through local partners. For the Ukraine response, NRC engages in advocacy and programme interventions including legal aid, education, livelihoods, shelter, protection from violence, and targeted cash for basic needs to ensure the most vulnerable families are not left behind.
At the Poland-Belarus border, local partners (acting in accordance with Polish law) provide lifesaving assistance to people on the move, in addition to providing legal support for those being processed in government reception centres.
