Ukrainian Refugees, 1

 
 
 

Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

A surreal soundtrack greets the sea of humanity fleeing Ukraine: a pianist with a message of peace. A momentary distraction from the misery unleashed by Russia’s invasion.

More than one million Ukrainians have fled to Poland since the invasion, by far the highest of any country. And they have been largely embraced by their European neighbors.

Most new arrivals are bused to reception centers away from the frontier. Some have family or friends in Poland where they can stay.

But many have nowhere to go they are given beds in shelters like this one a school in the nearby town of Przemysl, now entirely given over to refugees.

It is remarkable how efficiently Poland has managed to absorb the huge number of refugees arriving over its borders, so far.

The question is, how long that can continue as tens of thousands of refugees continue to arrive every day?

Yevgenia has just arrived here with three of her four children.

Yevgenia, Ukrainian Refugee: “My husband is in Ukraine. They didn’t let him leave; and also my older son; he’s 18. He also had to sign up, so we’re separated.

Volunteers come to us and offer us opportunities where we can go where there is work. We want to work so we’re not dependent on someone, and so we can be useful for something.

The school’s head teacher Malgorjata Ziober oversees the shelter and now has hundreds of refugees under her care.

Malgorjata Ziober, Head Teacher: “The worst moments are when, for example, a minibus arrives at night, and we take in babies that are four or five months old. It’s really very emotional, and I think not everybody is suited to cope with that.

We could do it because we’re strong — we don’t know for how long as long as we have the strength, we will help.”

Next door a cultural center has been transformed into a temporary shelter. They have been overwhelmed with donations from local residents and businesses.

Janusz Zapotocki, Local Politician: “At first they are shocked. They want to shout, they want to talk out loud what they experienced, what they went through, what their escape was like.

And then slowly they calm down and get used to the new reality, that they have to go on living.”

The historical bonds run deep across this border. At the cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Przemysl, a prayer service was held Sunday morning for the people of Ukraine. The service was broadcast live across Poland.

Many Ukrainian refugees say they hope to return home within weeks that this dizzying upheaval will soon be over.

But as they see the images of death and destruction in the land they left behind that hope is draining away. Henry Ridgwell for VOA news Przemysl Poland

 

 

 

 

Questions

Ukraine, Moldova. This report was about a classical pianist. Is this right or wrong?

Russia, Belarus. Have most of the refugees from Ukraine gone to the US, UK and Canada?

Poland. Poles, Slovaks and Romanians are xenophobic and anti-refugee. Is this entirely true, mostly true, in the middle, yes and no, it depends, largely false or completely false?

Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. Is the scene total chaos? Do the refugees receive assistance and organized help?

Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia. Are all the refugees housed at the border between Poland and Ukraine? Are all the refugees provided shelter at the border?

Bulgaria, Romania. The Ukrainian refugees include men, women and children. Is this correct or incorrect?

Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia. For the Ukrainians, is this like a vacation or trip?

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. All the refugees hope to stay in the EU and live off benefits. Yes or no?
 
 
 
Austria, Germany, Switzerland. There are many refugees in my town, city and country. True or false? Is yes, who are they? Where do they come from? Why have they fled?

Belgium, France. Have people from your country fled abroad? Have people in your country been refugees?

Spain, Italy, Greece. Do countries want refugees to settle down, return, both or neither?

Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro. What might happen in the future?

Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden. Describe the ideal situation.