Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the visit to the UNICEF-funded facility on Wednesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Afterwards, Thomas-Greenfield told a briefing she was grateful to the Polish public and the country’s authorities for the hospitality extended to people fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Greenfield-Thomas also tweeted that “Poland’s response to Russia’s war against Ukraine has been extraordinary. They have stepped up to provide security and humanitarian assistance and to take in refugees.”
She told reporters that before visiting the support centre, she spent several hours meeting with organisations that help refugees from Ukraine on the ground in Poland, as well as Polish government officials.
Greenfield-Thomas said: “Whenever I travel abroad, I make it a priority to meet with refugees. To hear their stories and better understand their needs.”
She added: “Today, at a UN Refugee Agency site in Warsaw, I heard stories of innocent lives upended. I saw the trauma of war on every face.”
The US diplomat went on to say: “An elderly couple told me about fleeing their home of 50 years, which was later destroyed. A mother who fled with her two young children told me her husband stayed behind to defend Ukraine from Russia’s unprovoked war. Her daughter is desperate to see her father.”
She said that whenever she met refugees from Ukraine, they said they wanted to return home, and the children said they wanted to return to their schools.
Thomas-Greenfield was asked about a potential new refugee wave that may hit Poland and other European countries as a result of Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and the approaching harsh winter.
She replied that Washington had already announced USD 25 million in additional assistance to help Ukrainian people survive the winter.
The US diplomat added she had discussed the potential new influx of refugees from Ukraine during her talks in Poland.
Thomas-Greenfield offered assurances that US President Joe Biden would work with Congress to make sure Ukraine keeps receiving the support that it needs until Russia’s unjustified aggression ends, the PAP news agency reported.
Set up in June by Warsaw authorities, Alior Bank and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which provides financing, the Warsaw Education and Development Hub caters to the needs of thousands of children and youngsters from Ukraine, officials said.
Refugees can attend online classes, interact with peers, join Polish-language classes, and get mental health support, reporters were told.
“The US is proud to support this vital work,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
Wednesday was day 259 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, wnp.pl, abcnews.go.com