Polish charity organizations have immediately responded to the tragedy in Georgia, not only declaring, but actually undertaking concrete action to offer aid to victims of the war conflict there.
Slawek Szefs reports
The Polish Humanitarian Organization (PAH) has already received required permission from the Interior Ministry to conduct a nationwide fund raising campaign in response to numerous questions by individuals on the matter. But the most important issue at present is sending medical aid to help the wounded, says director Grzegorz Gruca: 'We have received some requests from the Georgian government regarding the most urgent needs, which are blood supplies. People are calling our organization in order to help. They are willing to donate funds, donate goods. There is a high response from Polish society.'
The Polish Red Cross (PCK) has been assisting Poles evacuated from the war affected region since Sunday. But it does not intend to limit its actions to catering for returnees in Poland, the organization's representative Borys Poleganow told our reporter at Warsaw airport: 'Polish Red Cross medical teams and psychologists are assisting all incoming flights with people evacuated from Georgia. Simultaneously, we are preparing a transport with humanitarian aid for the Georgians. To start with, basic sanitary articles such as bandages, syringes and first aid kits.'
Caritas Polska is another NGO here ready to assist victims of the Georgian conflict. Father Zbigniew Sobolewski declares his organization has pledged 40 thousand euros for the purpose: 'The money will be used for buying food and medicines. We are waiting for a detailed list of the most needed things and their quantities. The sum offered is just for initial purchases. We still need to gather more information to think about a long term plan of actions.'
The goods are to be transferred through Caritas Internationalis. Father Sobolewski added this may encounter some difficulty because of the military operations in Georgia.
This is where cooperation of Polish NGOs might prove vital, says Grzegorz Gruca of PAH, which is willing to share its several year experience from a mission in Chechnya: 'There were some Polish NGOs that were involved mainly in democratization and civic society building in Georgia. But for the time being most, if not all of the Polish staff has been evacuated from there. At the moment we have in our (Warsaw) office some volunteers from Georgia and they are going to give us a hand in setting up new links with the Georgians. NGOs might be taking this opportunity to deliver their aid through those channels.'
Meanwhile, any news of subsiding war operations in the region will be a more than welcome signal for the entire community engaged in assisting civilian victims of the Georgian conflict.