Grodno Oblast governor: We have yet to receive a single euro of international aid for refugees

Grodno Oblast has not received a single euro out of the promised international funding for organizing humanitarian aid for refugees. Grodno Oblast Governor Vladimir Karanik mentioned it after delivering his report to Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko on 22 November, BelTA has learned.

The governor said: “It is probably the mentality of our nation: when we see people in distress and in need of aid, we provide aid first and we calculate how much it costs later on.”

In his words, representatives of the civil society, the private sector, and volunteers bear most of the burden regarding the organization of humanitarian aid to the refugees. One can say that Belarus has provided first aid to the refugees by saving people and moving them indoors while outdoor air temperatures were already below zero. “It is understandable that this accommodation requires funding. But it is a question international organizations should answer. We provide aid to refugees. It was declared that the European Union will allocate €700,000 to aid the refugees. We have yet to see a single U.S. dollar or euro of this international aid,” the official said. Vladimir Karanik said he hopes some of the expenses would be compensated later on out of the money the international community will allocate to aid the refugees.