Ukraine: Caritas supporting displaced people at the Belarus border

By Svitlana Dukhovych 

There is a bitter irony in the route Ukrainians must take to leave territories occupied by the Russian Federation and reach areas under the control of the government in Kyiv. Instead of crossing directly into Ukraine, they are forced to travel through Russia and Belarus. After journeys spanning thousands of kilometres, countless procedures, and hours of inspections, they eventually arrive at the Mokrany–Domanove border crossing in the Volyn region, on the border with Belarus, where the only active humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian citizens remains open today. By the time they reach Ukraine, many are exhausted, traumatised, and in urgent need of support.

Caritas support

One of the humanitarian organisations assisting them is Caritas Ukraine, which has been working at the crossing since February 2025.

“Our work begins with people’s needs and the conditions in which they arrive,” explained Hryhorii Seleshchuk, Vice President of Caritas Ukraine. “At first, the needs were very practical. People were arriving at the border with no means of continuing their journey and no access to transport. We therefore organised travel arrangements, particularly for elderly people travelling alone and for those with reduced mobility who lacked the resources to manage the logistical difficulties on their own. The journey from the occupied territories often lasts three, four, or even five days, with multiple changes of transport. It is long and extremely exhausting. For us, it was essential to respond to these needs while respecting people’s dignity, so that they would feel welcomed and acknowledged.”

Human tragedies along the border

Over time, Seleshchuk said, other urgent needs also became apparent. Many people had no money to buy tickets to continue travelling within Ukraine, so tickets were purchased for them. At the same time, waits for trains or buses could last three, five, or even seven hours. During those hours, offering a hot meal or something to eat became an important way of giving people at least a small sense of care and hospitality.

“There was one woman who managed to leave the occupied territory with her two children, aged 14 and 16,” he recalled. “Her husband had died there, and all of their documents had been destroyed. She arrived here with only her children, not knowing what to do next, where to go, without documents, without anything.”

In cases like these, Caritas case managers and crisis counsellors help find accommodation for those arriving at the border. They also provide legal assistance to help recover documents and search Ukrainian archives in order to confirm identities and enable people to continue rebuilding their lives.

Psychological support

“We also provide psychological support,” stressed the Vice President of Caritas Ukraine, “because many people arrive in a state of severe anxiety, disoriented and confused. Some had not been in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government for years, even before 2022. We also know that, in order to reach the border, they had to undergo various checks and filtration procedures. They arrive in conditions of deep fear and tension. That is why psychological support is essential.”

At the Mokrany–Domanove crossing, Caritas Ukraine works closely with the Office of the Ombudsman. “Through this network, we receive many reports concerning vulnerable people, those in need of medical assistance, or people with reduced mobility,” Seleshchuk explained. “We take responsibility for these cases, help people find accommodation, and support them in accessing the services they need in Ukraine. We also provide initial financial assistance, so that people have at least some resources to meet their immediate needs and regain a degree of independence.”

Caritas staff on the border between Ukraine and Belarus {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "ImageObject","contentUrl": "https://www.vaticannews.va/content/dam/vaticannews/multimedia/2026/maggio/23/Caritas-Ucraina_1.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.thumbnail.cropped.750.422.jpeg","creditText": "Vatican News","height": "750","width": "422"} More than 2,500 people assisted in one year

Several organisations are involved in the work, and this cooperation is essential because funding is not always continuous or available at the same time. When one organisation has resources and another does not, a kind of handover and mutual support takes place.

Thanks in part to these partnerships, Caritas has assisted more than 2,500 people over the course of a year.

“For a small team of four people, it is an enormous undertaking,” Seleshchuk said.

On Tuesday, 19 May, the Mokrany–Domanove crossing on the Ukraine–Belarus border was visited by a delegation representing around 30 embassies, led by Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets. Representatives from the United Nations were also present, including senior officials from UNHCR and UNICEF.

“The aim of the initiative,” the Vice President explained, “was to show this journey and the difficult conditions faced by the people involved, with particular attention to children and young people arriving from the occupied territories. It is an extremely important issue, because among Caritas beneficiaries alone there are nearly 400 minors.”

Creating mechanisms that allow them to return safely to Ukraine is essential. In cooperation with Save Ukraine, Caritas Ukraine is carrying out a project dedicated to children and young people.

“The goal is to facilitate their transfer to areas controlled by the Ukrainian government and to support their integration through document recovery and reintegration into daily life,” Seleshchuk explained. “If they wish to continue their studies or build their future in Ukraine, we accompany them along that journey.”