Poland Refugee Shelter Fights to Survive After 1,800 Help Requests as Funding Halves
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 25
Poland Refugee Shelter Fights to Survive After 1,800 Help Requests as Funding Halves
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 25
Summary
Martynka, a Krakow shelter and helpline for Ukrainian women, is struggling to stay open as demand rises and support shrinks; staff handled about 1,800 requests last year and expect more.
U.N. refugee-agency funding for Ukrainians in Poland covered only half of identified needs this year, down from 94% in 2022, while Polish state aid has also been steadily reduced.
Anti-Ukrainian hostility has intensified since the 2025 presidential campaign, researchers say, and police recorded 180 Ukrainian victims of prejudice-motivated crimes by mid-July after 275 in all of 2025.
The pressure falls hardest on vulnerable refugees—especially single mothers, older people and those with illnesses or disabilities—even as more than 70% of Ukrainians in Poland found work and contributed 2.7% of GDP in 2024.