Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has become both a frontline humanitarian hub and one of Kyiv’s most reliable political allies. According to a new government report, the total value of Poland’s humanitarian and economic assistance exceeded £17.1 billion between 2022 and 2023 which marks the largest aid effort in the country’s modern history.

According to the report Poland granted temporary protection to 1.73 million Ukrainian refugees, while more than nine million border crossings were recorded in 2022 alone. The landmark Assistance Act, adopted in March 2022, guaranteed refugees legal stay, healthcare, education, social benefits and the right to work. A dedicated Assistance Fund channelled £5.43 billion to these efforts over two years.

“It is the first complex report that shows such immense commitment to helping Ukraine and its people not only from the Polish government level, but also from local authorities, NGOs, churches and ordinary citizens. It was this mobilisation at every level of society that ensured the success of what can be called Poland’s ‘humanitarian uprising’.” the head of the author’s team and aide to Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Kowal, Wiktor Babiński told British Poles.

Around 530,000 people were housed in organised accommodation centres offering meals, at a cost of £674 million, while private citizens who took refugees into their homes received reimbursements totalling £749 million. By the end of 2023, 1.87 million job notifications had been registered for Ukrainians, who now account for nearly 70% of all foreign workers in Poland. The Diia.pl digital ID, used by some 520,000 refugees, became the European Union’s first fully digital residence permit.

Ukrainians were given access to Poland’s public healthcare system on the same terms as its full citizens. The National Health Fund spent £258 million on medical care for refugees, including 373,000 COVID-19 vaccinations and specialist psychological support programmes. Social assistance included a one-off £57 payment for 1.3 million people and access to family benefits worth more than £760 million, through social programmes such as Family 800+ and Good Start.

„Polish Aid to Ukraine 2022–2023 is the first draft of history, a testament to Poland’s generosity in helping its neighbours and in standing up to Russian imperialism,” the head of adds Wiktor Babiński.

By the end of 2022, some 190,000 Ukrainian children were enrolled in Polish schools and kindergartens. The government allocated £836 million to local authorities for education and a further £9.25 million for textbooks. Polish universities hosted over 48,000 Ukrainian students, supported by £135 million in academic aid, including the Solidarity with Ukraine scholarship scheme.

Poland also became Ukraine’s “strategic depth”, spearheading the Leopard 2 tank coalition, training Ukrainian troops and co-hosting a maintenance hub for the tanks. Polish firefighters and emergency services dispatched 259 vehicles and 3,000 pallets of equipment to Ukraine.

Warsaw played a pivotal role in rallying international support. In March 2022, Polish leaders were the first foreign politicians to visit Kyiv after the invasion. President Andrzej Duda became the first foreign head of state to address Ukraine’s parliament, and Poland played a crucial role in securing Ukraine’s EU candidate status and advocating for tougher sanctions against Russia. The Sejm and Senate also passed resolutions designating Russia a terrorist regime and calling for Ukraine’s accession to NATO.

Beyond official institutions, the response from Polish society was remarkable, with 77% of citizens contributing to aid efforts. Churches, NGOs and private donors raised record sums and organised relief on an unprecedented scale. Cultural institutions ran 687 projects worth £3 million, while the Centre for Assistance to Culture in Ukraine sent over 800 pallets of protective materials to museums and archives under threat.

The report depicts Poland not simply as a neighbour, but as Ukraine’s most steadfast partner, a logistical lifeline, a voice for Kyiv in Brussels and a humanitarian sanctuary for those fleeing the war.

“There may be tensions, but our solidarity with Ukraine remains absolute. Poland will stand with Ukraine until victory,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk affirmed during his visit to Kyiv in January 2024.

“Poland, as Ukraine’s close neighbour and strategic partner, provided help in every conceivable dimension, from humanitarian support for millions of refugees, through military assistance for the army fighting Russia, to political backing for Ukraine’s integration with the West,” Wiktor Babiński concludes. 

Wiktor Babiński is the aide of Deputy Minister Paweł Kowal at the Polish Council for Cooperation with Ukraine, and served as head of the report project team “Polish Aid to Ukraine 2022-2023”.

You can access the full report in English here. 

Source: Polish Foreign Affairs Ministry

Photo: The convoy with the ammunition that Poland hands over to Ukraine, 

Tomasz Modrzejewski