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The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF ) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bulgaria, in partnership and kindly hosted by the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) , with the assistance of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) , the Bulgarian Refugee Council (SJBB ) and representatives of the refugee community , opened the Center for Refugee Support "Blue Dot" (Blue Dot) . It is located at the BRC headquarters in Sofia and was opened in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Kalina Konstantinova.
Blue Dot centers are safe areas of protection and basic services that are opening up in countries hosting refugees from Ukraine, including Poland, Romania and Moldova. They provide information, legal advice, psychosocial support, identification and referral to services for children, women, families, and other groups at particular increased risk while fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Blue Dot Centers increase support from national governments and are organized in coordination with government authorities and other partners on key transit routes and destinations to help children and families in need.
In addition to the Center at the BRC headquarters, UNHCR and UNICEF have already opened such a center for information and psychosocial support at the Crisis Center at Sofia Central Railway Station and at the Durankulak border crossing, where refugees can receive legal, social and psychological support.
"It is inspiring to see the government and the people of Bulgaria warmly welcoming and helping refugees from Ukraine in these emergencies ," said UNHCR Emergency Coordinator Takeshi Moriyama . " In a spirit of solidarity, we are increasing our support for national efforts. "Blue Dot centers will increase coordination among the widest possible range of partners to help all refugees in need of support under one roof ," he said.
In just over two months, the war in Ukraine has forced more than 5.7 million people , half of them children, to flee abroad in search of safety. Another 7.7 million people have been displaced inside Ukraine .
" This is the fastest growing resettlement crisis since World War II and children are paying the highest price," said UNICEF Representative in Bulgaria Christina de Bruyne . "Children forced to leave their homes because of violence need a safe and quiet place where they can play and talk to caring people. "The Blue Dot Centers also have a special children's playground and psychologists who can reassure children and provide vital mental health support to help them recover from trauma ," she added.
Bulgaria supports and has received over 102,000 refugees from Ukraine who have remained in the country. Four out of ten Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria are children.
" Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the Bulgarian Red Cross has been supporting all those affected, but today, through this initiative, we will be able to further coordinate and expand our activities. " This was said by the chairman of the Bulgarian Red Cross, Acad. Hristo Grigorov , at the opening of the Center. We believe that children and their loved ones will find in the "Blue Dot" and in the Bulgarian Red Cross a safe environment and people to help them feel safe and secure, because once again we prove that together we can achieve much more "He added.
National authorities have provided rapid access to the country and support, and volunteers have been providing vital assistance since the beginning of the conflict. State institutions, local authorities, NGOs and civil society contribute to helping refugees from Ukraine.
The Blue Dot Centers support these efforts and are located in places where professionals from the Bulgarian Red Cross, the BHC, the SJBB and other active organizations offer legal assistance and consultations, identify services for people at high risk, provide information on available services and rights. psychological and psychosocial support, they also have a children's playground that offers games and entertainment for children.
The crisis with the refugees from Ukraine is also a crisis for the protection of women and girls.
Conflict and displacement increase the risk of gender-based violence, human trafficking, abuse, psychological trauma and separation. Considering the profile of refugees by gender - 92% of refugees from Ukraine in Bulgaria are women and children, this risk increases.
Information and services for vulnerable women and children, victims of gender-based violence and other vulnerable refugees can be found at the Blue Dot Centers.
UN agencies also plan to open such centers at the border checkpoint in Ruse, as well as in Varna and Burgas in the coming weeks.
