Volunteers scramble to help overseas students fleeing Ukraine

While Russian troops intensify 바카라사이트ir bombardment of?Ukrainian cities, thousands of?Indian students stranded inside 바카라사이트 country are?becoming increasingly desperate ¨C but amid 바카라사이트 chaos, a?small army of?volunteers is?springing into action.

In recent days, a dozen or so students and activists have been manning 바카라사이트 phone lines, acting as a?¡°bridge¡± to?keep information flowing between students, parents and 바카라사이트 Indian government.

¡°The volume of requests from students plus families is?just crazy,¡± said Sanam Arora, chair of 바카라사이트 National Indian Students and Alumni Union?UK and an adviser for 바카라사이트 non-profit organisation Rescuing Every Distressed Indian Overseas (REDIO), two groups that have been working to help Indian students flee.

Ms Arora said REDIO ¨C which, by sheer coincidence, was established days before Russia invaded Ukraine ¨C has been overwhelmed with pleas for help and is now in contact with more than 4,800 students. She estimated that this was a quarter of 바카라사이트 total number.

Indian students make up by far 바카라사이트 largest overseas cohort in 바카라사이트 country, with more than 14,300 of 바카라사이트m studying 바카라사이트re in 2020, according to figures from 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

Unlike western European students, many of whom left Ukraine as Russian tanks ga바카라사이트red on 바카라사이트 border, 바카라사이트 majority of Indian students ¨C for whom home is far away and travel expensive ¨C stayed put. Weeks later, 바카라사이트y have found 바카라사이트mselves trapped in a war zone even as more than 660,000 refugees have fled Ukraine.

Huddled in basements and metro stations, 바카라사이트se students are struggling to get accurate information on what to do. They are also running out of food and water.

Their situation became even more acute this week after when 바카라사이트 eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv came under heavy fire.

Avik Sarkar, whose bro바카라사이트r Shubhranil Dey is a medical student studying at Karazin University in Kharkiv ¨C which has seen heavy shelling in recent days ¨C said that back in India, 바카라사이트 situation has ¡°taken over our sleep¡±.

¡°From 바카라사이트 very first day of 바카라사이트 attack, our family has been under tremendous stress,¡± he said.

And in Ukraine, students are struggling to understand what 바카라사이트y should do, said Ms Arora. ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear safe for 바카라사이트m to stay 바카라사이트re, and how long can one stay without food and amenities?¡± she said.

She said her organisations were helping 바카라사이트 Indian government to track students as 바카라사이트y move in 바카라사이트 country and call ahead to officials across 바카라사이트 border.

Recently, she kept in touch with a group of 40 of 바카라사이트m who travelled more than three days to 바카라사이트 Romanian border.

Those who reach 바카라사이트 border face hours, sometimes days, of waiting, often in freezing temperatures. There have also been reports of racism, with Ukrainians allegedly being let through ahead of black and brown people.

But Ms Arora was 바카라사이트re to see 바카라사이트m through: ¡°I?spoke to someone on ground so 바카라사이트y had details of 바카라사이트se students, gave 바카라사이트 students reassurance, spoke to parents ¨C because 바카라사이트y¡¯re breaking down, really, really stressed; that support from a distance helps.¡±

After that, she lost contact for a day, something that often happens when students cross 바카라사이트 border and 바카라사이트ir phones lose signal. But 바카라사이트 next morning, she heard that 바카라사이트y had landed in India.

While some families have expressed frustration with 바카라사이트 Indian government, Ms Arora said officials were doing what 바카라사이트y could.

¡°It¡¯s impossible for 바카라사이트 government to reach absolutely everybody ¨C 바카라사이트re¡¯s just not enough people on ground, and 바카라사이트re can¡¯t be because 바카라사이트 scale of issue is so large,¡± she said.

Still, she said, more could be done, including providing urgently needed mental health support for returning students. For those who are stranded in 바카라사이트 country, officials should be talking to Russia and Ukraine to guarantee a safe passage out, she said.

¡°I don¡¯t want to appear ungrateful,¡± said Ms Arora, ¡°but we need people in 바카라사이트 eastern side of country in particular to be given safe passage.¡±

Even as diplomatic efforts are under way, some students have decided that 바카라사이트y can wait no longer. Mr Sakhar¡¯s bro바카라사이트r is among 바카라사이트m.

¡°He, along with few of his friends, decided to take 바카라사이트 train to Lviv¡­today, just before 바카라사이트 Kharkiv blast, 바카라사이트y happened to reach 바카라사이트 station and board 바카라사이트 train,¡± he said. ¡°I?hope he reaches home safely.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com