TYLER, TX (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – The Polish sister city of Tyler, Texas, has become a reception hub for Ukrainian citizens fleeing their homeland after the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Jelenia Góra, a city of more than 78,000 residents in southwestern Poland, has mobilized its municipal government to provide humanitarian services in response to the conflict.
It has also reached out to Tyler, a sister city since 1993, requesting assistance for the refugees. “Jelenia Góra has become a hub of aid for our twin cities in Ukraine, but we are also working to help the people who have come to Jelenia Góra as refugees,” said Michał Kryla, assistant to the mayor of Jelenia Góra, in a message sent to the Tyler Sister Cities Organization.
“Poles and the residents of Jelenia Góra have been deeply involved in helping Ukrainians, but with the escalation of the conflict, our aid is turning into a drop in the ocean. That’s why we’re asking for your help.”
As of March 7, more than a week after Russian troops began their incursion into Ukraine, the mayor of Jelenia Góra reported that more than 190 Ukrainian refugees had already arrived through the city’s train station. Mayor Jerzy Łużniak posted on social media that he expected that number to rise dramatically as the inflow of refugees crossed Poland’s eastern border.
According to updated United Nations figures, of the more than 2.8 million Ukrainians who have left their homes since February 24, about 1.7 million are now seeking refuge in Poland, more than in any other country.
The city of Jelenia Góra is collecting donations of medical supplies, food, clothing, personal care products, and sleeping bags for Ukrainian citizens.
The city’s public school system has opened some of its campuses to Ukrainian children with refugee status.
Temporary shelters for refugees have been established at a sports stadium and city hotels, according to a post on the city’s Facebook page.
On Twitter, Łużniak also announced the termination of the sister-city relationship with the Russian city of Vladimir, citing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
Tyler Sister Cities is now collecting monetary donations, which it says will be sent directly to Jelenia Góra to support the humanitarian relief efforts.
“Our hearts are with the Ukrainian people during the recent attacks on their homeland,” said Brent Pemberton, president of the Tyler Sister Cities organization. “We hope that by working with our sister city in Poland, Jelenia Góra, we can send aid to those in need. Our hope is to live up to the motto of Sister Cities International: ‘All have the power to make a difference.’”
Donations can be made here.
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