An inside look at the plight facing Ukrainian refugees

Imagine being forced from your home into a different country, where you don’t speak the language or know anybody.

For many Ukrainians, the Russian invasion has made that a sad reality.

But what is it like in the countries hosting these refugees? And what about the people who are helping?

Angela Hill works with Red Cross. The former 650 CKOM news director is now stationed in Romania, helping refugees in the border country.

“There’s a very orchestrated effort right now … The Romanian Red Cross is at border crossings throughout the country. They are there with everything from food and water, (to) information (and) comfort. Some people just need to tell their stories of how they got there,” she explained.

“They’re also providing really functional items like a SIM card,” Hill continued. “You’re in a new country, but you’ve maybe left family or friends behind, so you’re desperate to keep in touch with them and let them know where you are.”

Red Cross workers also are involved in arranging travel for those who are moving on to different countries.

Hill has been struck by how these refugees are working through the trauma of seeing their homes destroyed.

“I just think of the resilience as they figure out what the next step is. Many of them don’t speak Romanian, many of them don’t speak English … It’s been really incredible,” she said.

“You can see the exhaustion (and) you can see their readiness to take the next step. But it’s also really difficult. Many of them speak to wishing they could still be home and supporting those who are there.”

Even with the pain of war all around them, there are still moments that make Hill smile.

“It’s making sure that people are getting exactly where they need to be to stay safe, and you can see the relief. There are these moments in these incredibly difficult, tense times … these moments of humanity,” she shared.

“(There was) this little kid who was toddling around with Grandma and they’re getting packed to get back on the train, and this little kid picks up the cane and hands it to Grandma with these big, understanding eyes … Or that woman with a dog, she let the dog out and these little kids are just shrieking in delight.

“You see these moments of safety, these moments of levity within such a difficult situation, and I think that’s really important to recognize.”