Gaëlle Devoucoux (E09) works for private partnerships in France involved with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). She sheds some light on the humanitarian situation emerging from the war in Ukraine, and on fund raising led by ESSEC and ESSEC Alumni for the UNHCR. Please donate!

ESSEC Alumni: What are the UNHCR’s missions? 

Gaëlle Devoucoux: The UNHCR, which was founded just after the Second World War, protects people who are forced to flee from conflicts or persecution. The UNHCR provides shelter, access to water, energy, healthcare and education, in addition to training, access to employment and inclusion, and operates in more than 130 countries to build brighter prospects for refugees from a perspective involving society as a whole.

EA: What is the current humanitarian situation due to the war in Ukraine? 

G. Devoucoux: According to the latest figures, around 3.5 million people have had to flee Ukraine. These figures continue to rise; it’s estimated that this crisis could lead to the displacement of 4 million people outside of Ukraine and even more within the country. 

EA: Beyond their urgent needs, what other risks are refugees facing? 

G. Devoucoux: Almost 90% of the people forced to flee Ukraine are women and children. Many of the children are unaccompanied or have been separated from their family, which exposes them to higher risks of violence, abuse and trafficking.

EA: How does the UNHCR deal with these specific vulnerabilities?

G. Devoucoux: We’ve deployed specialists and experts in the protection of women and children against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) throughout the whole region. We’ve also launched a “Stay Safe” campaign to raise awareness among Ukrainian refugees of the risks they face and the measures they can take to reduce these risks. Lastly, in partnership with UNICEF, we’ve set up “Blue Dots” in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. These are safe havens that provide a range of services to protect children, families and other people with specific needs, and act as a support for existing services and governmental efforts.

EA: More generally, what actions has the UNHCR been leading since the onset of the war? 

G. Devoucoux: The UNHCR has been leading numerous actions, such as the recording of internally displaced persons, the setting-up and running of transit centres, direct financial aid without restrictions (rent and basic needs, etc.), legal assistance, psychosocial support and access to the right information via the HELP platform, etc.

EA: What are your actions in the countries bordering Ukraine?  

G. Devoucoux: We have offices in Poland and Romania, as well as a branch in Hungary which also covers Slovakia and Moldova. Our main aims are to support the rapid upscaling of existing infrastructures and to provide our technical assistance. In particular, we’re drafting a regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP), in collaboration with partners such as the UNDP, WHO, Save the Children, HelpAge International, INTERSOS, Project Hope, UNFPA, the French National Commission for Refugees (CNR), UNICEF, WFP and IOM.

EA: Could you give us an example of the emergency aid provided by the UNHCR in these various countries? 

G. Devoucoux: In Moldova, we launched a cash assistance programme with the Ministry for Social Welfare and local partners, which aims to support 200,000 people in the next four months.

EA: What about the UNHCR’s actions in Ukraine? 

G. Devoucoux: The UNHCR has been based in Ukraine since 1994; we have six local offices and several warehouses in three different regions to store humanitarian supplies. The war has obviously complicated our task, making it more difficult and dangerous to reach people in need, exposing our staff to extreme risks and delaying the transport of aid. But we’re not giving up. Our key actions include the mapping of needs, informing affected populations via community mobilisation tools and a hotline, and providing food, water, medication and first aid to impacted areas, especially to the most vulnerable, such as the disabled, people with serious health issues, the elderly and minority populations. 

EA: Could you give us some examples of the actions led by the UNHCR in Ukraine? 

G. Devoucoux: In the East, we’ve set up emergency accommodation for more than 5000 people fleeing the bombings in Donetsk and Luhansk, and we steered the first humanitarian convoy to reach the besieged city of Sumy, where tens of thousands of inhabitants are held in. In Odessa, we run a legal and social aid point for the 600 to 800 refugees who transit through the city’s train station. In Lviv, we’ve launched a cash assistance programme which should help 360,000 people to meet their basic needs while supporting local suppliers.

EA: What does the UNHCR need to lead all these actions? 

G. Devoucoux: We’ve launched a call for donations, for an initial amount of $510 million (€462 million). This amount should enable us to fund the RRP within Ukraine for 3 months, in addition to ensuring protection and crucial aid for Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers in all the impacted countries in this region for six months. More specifically, $270 million (€244 million) are allocated to the response in Ukraine, around 53% of this call for donations is devoted to aid in Poland and about 6% to Moldova. These figures could change given the volatility of the situation on the ground.

EA: How can we support the actions of the UNHCR? 

G. Devoucoux: The priority is funding. We already have substantial stocks of basic necessities and vital items. What we lack are the funds to ship supplies and provide cash assistance to refugees. You can make a donation via the collection co-organised by ESSEC, ESSEC Alumni, ESCP Alumni and HEC Alumni on the GlobeDreamers platform – all of whom I am sincerely grateful to for their proactiveness, rallying power and true commitment. You can also set up your own collections for our organisation. We’d like to point out that it is possible to rally your staff and customers as part of an individual call for donations to help the populations affected by the crisis. We’re also seeking patronage from companies and company foundations, as well as forms of media cover. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly if you would like more information: devoucou@unhcr.org. To give you an idea of scale, a contribution of €60 will provide a blanket to 10 people, €89 provides psychosocial aid for a child and €120 provides enough tarpaulin to protect 10 family shelters, etc. 

EA: Does the UNHCR accept donations in kind? 

G. Devoucoux: Right now, the UNHCR is unable to manage small donations in kind. Nevertheless, we suggest you get in contact with charities and volunteer groups who provide direct aid to refugees. You are advised to contact these groups before launching a collection, to ensure your donations correspond to their needs.

EA: Is the UNHCR looking for volunteers? 

G. Devoucoux: Our staff on the ground are specifically trained in emergency operations. People fleeing conflict are often traumatised or have sometimes been the direct victims of violence, so it is vital they receive professional support. However, we suggest once again that you contact charities and active dedicated volunteer groups. On this note, you can visit the French  government web page  to learn about the various possible forms of engagement for the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis.

EA: Aside from their immediate requirements, what will refugees’ medium to long-term needs be? 

G. Devoucoux: Refugees will need help to access accommodation, employment, education and more generally for their socioeconomic integration in their host country.

EA: What is the most effective way to meet these needs? 

G. Devoucoux: The European Union took the lead on 3 March by making the unprecedented decision to offer temporary protection to refugees fleeing Ukraine. Created in the aftermath of the Yugoslavian war, the Temporary Protection Directive grants a status of collective protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons. These people benefit from up to one year of protection (which can be extended to 3 years), without having to go through individual asylum application procedures, and obtain access to accommodation, education, healthcare, social welfare or a residence permit. 

If you would like to help fund the UNHCR’s action for Ukrainian war refugees, contribute to the collection co-organised by ESSEC and ESSEC Alumni and make a donation.

For more information on the UNHCR: Official site | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram