UNICEF and The Chancellery of the Prime Minister announce partnership on social inclusion in Poland

Warsaw, 19 April 2023 – The UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland today launched a partnership with The Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland focused on the social inclusion of refugees who’ve fled war in Ukraine. The letter of intent signed by Agnieszka Ścigaj, Minister – Member of the Council of Ministers and Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, Country Coordinator, UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland focuses on cooperation around the implementation of activities of "We Need Each Other" social inclusion programme and other strategic and programmatic activities in the field of social inclusion.

The "We Need Each Other" social integration programme will be addressed mainly to people from Ukraine who are under temporary protection in Poland, but also to repatriates as well as Polish citizens in challenging circumstances, especially in terms of housing. The cooperation between UNICEF and the Chancellery will also improve, develop and provide quality accessible services and programmes for children and their families, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations.

“The competition, in which we selected five different projects implemented under the "We Need Each Other" programme, was quite demanding and complex. However, there were many interesting project proposals. Selected projects will be implemented in Podlasie, Pomerania, Silesia, Lower Silesia and Lesser Poland regions, said Minister Agnieszka Ścigaj. I would like to thank UNICEF for its substantive support and contribution to the social integration strategy that is being developed. Signing the letter of intent is the next step in our fruitful cooperation.”

Every child has a right to a fair chance in life. Fairness has always been at the heart of UNICEF’s work — ever since UNICEF was established to meet the needs of children after World War II, right up to today with millions of children are uprooted from their homes due to conflicts and wars they did nothing to create, said Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, Country Coordinator, UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland. With signing this letter of intent, we declare our willingness to further our work and involvement in areas including supporting education as well as in ensuring the protection of children and adolescents and equal opportunities in access to social services.

UNICEF supports national and regional authorities in fulfilling their primary responsibility to respond to emergencies, assist affected children and families, facilitate the work of humanitarian actors and ensure the mobilization of national and international resources through its expertise, coordination and support as well as advocacy. In doing so, UNICEF adheres to the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

Other areas of cooperation included in the letter of intent include:

• supporting refugee children in enrolling in the Polish education system (by supporting families and schools),
• supporting the organization of early childhood care,
• supporting remote learning sites,
• supporting violence prevention,
• providing mental health and psychosocial support,
• facilitating access to community and respite care services,
• facilitating access to community-based social support services.

The UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland was established in March last year to support children and their families who’ve fled the war in Ukraine. The office works in partnership with Poland — its central and local government and its civil society and people — to keep children learning and families healthy and safe.