Sarah, Duchess of York has made a humanitarian trip to Poland after organising lorry loads of donated goods to support Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.
The duchess described the impact of the war on families as “unbearable to see” and said she wanted to “do my bit” to help Poland respond to the crisis.
Speaking from Warsaw, where she is being hosted by the city’s mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, she said: “This conflict is absolutely heartbreaking to watch. It is unbearable to see families being separated and civilians being caught up in the bloodshed.
“I have always believed the smile of a child is the most important thing in the world, so to see so many children caught up in this crisis is particularly affecting.”
She explained more than 1.7 million people – out of a total of almost three million refugees – have crossed Ukraine’s border with Poland and the reception they received “has been inspiring to watch”.
Sarah added: “I want to do my bit through my charity, Sarah’s Trust, and am here to hear more about what is needed on the ground.
“So far we have organised for three articulated lorries with supplies designed to help refugees from Ukraine in Poland. These include clothes for women, children, nappies, hand sanitisers, toiletries, torches, and non-perishable food like porridge oats.
“All of these items have been provided by kind-hearted donors in the UK who I can’t thank enough.
“I think those of us in countries further away have a duty to help the Polish people respond to this crisis. Two of our lorries have gone to Rudy and Czeladz, and the third one will go to the Silesia region.”
