Non-profit founded by Syria refugee welcomes Ukrainians to Romania

A non-profit founded by a Syrian refugee is welcoming Ukrainians into neighbouring Romania, which shares a 650-kilometre border with Ukraine.

Refugee4Refugees is welcoming people escaping the Russian invasion and offering them food, clothes, legal advice and a place to stay, reports ABC News.

Omar Alshakal fled the fighting in Syria in 2014 when he was 17 and arrived in Greece after swimming for 14 hours from the Turkish coast.

“What we’re trying to provide here [is] a safe area where people can come to rest for a few hours or a night,” Omar told ABC News.

Just two days after Russia invaded Ukraine the OHCHR reported 64 civilian deaths. As of 4 April, 1,430 people have now been killed.

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Thousands of people are without electricity or water, and homes, hospitals and schools have been damaged and destroyed.

A 14-metre mass grave has been found in Bucha and journalists have reported seeing bodies with their hands tied behind their back, a bullet wound to the head. 

Volunteers from several organisations are stationed at the Siret border in northern Romania to welcome refugees as they arrive and provide them with a hot meal.

Firefighters are there also to help the people arriving with their luggage and are building tents to provide people with temporary shelter.

More than ten million people have now left their homes in Ukraine following the Russian invasion on 24 February.

Neighbouring European countries such as Hungary, Poland and Romania have kept their borders open and pledged support.

Roughly 609,000 have arrived in Romania though at 2,337,000, the majority have crossed into Poland, which is asking for more money to meet the needs of refugees there.

The EU has granted Ukrainians fleeing war the right to stay and work in any of its countries for up to three years where they can receive welfare, housing, medical treatment and their children can go to school.