SOS Rescue: cross-border cooperation project turns emergency centre intro humanitarian hub

The SOS Rescue cross-border cooperation project between Poland and Ukraine is adapting its activities to support Ukrainian refugees.

The project, SOS Rescue – the training centre for organising and operating cross-border rescue actions, had worked to increase the effectiveness of trans-border mountain rescue actions, setting up coordination and training centres on both sides of the border, and equipping partners with advanced rescue devices, including operational vehicles, medical equipment, evacuation tools, water rescue services, GPS and software, avalanche rescue kits and drones with thermal cameras.

While the project’s training centre in Poland has been turned into an Emergency Centre for Ukraine, trainings planned under the project are continuing, last week beginning a specialised training to provide medical first aid. The training centre has been transformed to help Ukraine – accommodating refugees, organising a humanitarian hub and providing the accommodation for rescuers helping at the border and in Ukraine.

Since the war began, the centre has:

• taken in about 50 refugees for whom the team has also organised housing in Poland and abroad for a longer time,
• taken in about 70 rescuers from various NGOs to provide medical assistance at the border and on Ukrainian territory,
• established a humanitarian hub, which has received about 80 tons of various donations since the beginning of the war, such as hygiene supplies, food, medical supplies, sleeping bags, carrimats, etc.