Montreal woman helps Ukrainians find safe passage out of war zone

As hundreds of thousands of people continue to flee the war in Ukraine, many people around the world, including one woman in Canada, are trying to do their part to help to find people safe passage.

Ukraine says hundreds of schools, hospitals, and residential buildings have been destroyed by Russia’s invasion so far.

As the Kremlin’s deadly attacks continue to push people out, Europe’s worst refugee crisis since the Second World War continues to grow even more severe, with UN officials reporting that two million people have now fled Ukraine.

As many Ukrainians run into trouble trying to leave, one woman in Montreal is among the people who have been using Facebook groups to try to help those fleeing.

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Helga Eizaguirre has no ties to Ukraine but started helping people there after assisting a neighbour in getting their family out.

“I am Canadian … I don’t have family in Ukraine, I don’t speak Ukrainian, I don’t speak Russian or Polish. I’m just trying to help,” she told CityNews.

Eizaguirre says she’s been using social media to connect with Ukrainians who are in need of help finding a way out. She is also working with a small charity in Poland.

“The way to help somebody is first you have to have information about what is going on there,” she explained, adding she got some of the Facebook posts translated to be able to understand what support people and families needed.

After helping her neighbour’s family, she realized many more needed help. She says she’s so far been able to help dozens of people find rides, lodging, and other support in the days since the war began.

She’s also been able to help an orphanage.

“I have no experience. I didn’t really expect that I could be so helpful here from Canada,” Eizaguirre admitted.

“This is just about helping families like yours and mine that, one week ago, they were shopping in a mall. Today, they had to abandon everything. They don’t have nothing, like what happened in Aleppo (Syria), it’s not too different.”

Ukraine’s defence minister says hundreds of civilian deaths have been recorded in the close to two weeks since Russia invaded. Among those killed are more than two dozen children.

-With files from The Associated Press