2022-03-04 14:58 update: 2022-03-08, 17:46
Piotr Mueller Photo PAP/Radek Pietruszka
Poland will receive part of EUR 500 million in funds from the EU budget for humanitarian assistance to those fleeing war in Ukraine, the government's spokesperson has announced.
Piotr Mueller was asked by the Salon24 news portal whether Poland will receive any financial assistance from the EU to deal with over 600,000 refugees who have arrived in Poland from Ukraine so far.
"As far as humanitarian aid, yes. There is already a decision... it has been made clear that the European Union is mobilising around EUR 0.5 billion for humanitarian aid, some of these funds will also go to Poland," he said.
Mueller told the portal that at the moment Poland is spending its own money to help refugees, "because there is no point in waiting for any transfers from abroad, help is needed here and now."
Earlier on Friday, Michal Dworczyk, the head of the Prime Minister' Office, told reporters after a meeting of the Parliamentary Team for Humanitarian Aid and International Humanitarian Law, that "today all the funds involved in helping the refugees come from the Polish budget or from various Polish institutions."
On Thursday, Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said during a visit to Bucharest that the bloc would deploy at least EUR 500 million from the EU budget in humanitarian support "to deal with the consequences of this war, both inside the country and for neighbouring countries, and refugees." (PAP)
