The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Vilnius Office has granted 330,000 euros to war refugees from Ukraine to cover their basic needs. A total of 3,028 Ukrainians received the benefits over 7 months.

"We encountered and heard many different stories, people often left their homes without taking anything because they did not have the time or the opportunity to do so, and so they ran out of basic necessities when they arrived in Lithuania. We have been working hard over the last little more than half a year to ensure that our benefits reach the most vulnerable people. This assistance has now come to an end, but we are happy that several thousand Ukrainians have received the help they needed," says Eitvydas Bingelis, Head of IOM Lithuania.

The benefit per Ukrainian amounted to €157, with an additional €78.5 for each family member. Particular attention was paid to single-parent families with one or more children, pregnant women, persons aged 60-65 who have reached retirement age in Ukraine and find it difficult or impossible to get a job or work in Lithuania, and victims of human trafficking.

IOM Lithuania staff visited Ukrainians living in Vilnius, Kaunas, Trakai, Švenčionys, Švenčionys, Visaginas, Nemenčinė, Tauragė, Palanga, Naujoji Akmenė, Alytus, Druskininkai, Panevėžys and other cities and towns in Lithuania. "Most of the people who came to the meetings were women of all ages. They used the much-needed financial support to buy the essentials: some bought a baby carrier, others paid for utility bills, others spent the support to buy medicines or other essentials for their children or elderly parents. There was not a single meeting that did not include a touching, sensitive or horrifying story, dozens of difficult people's stories," says Jurga Mickienė, Assistant to the Migrant Assistance and Crisis Management Unit at IOM Lithuania.

Since the beginning of the war, more than 77,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Lithuania.