Thread by @tanjamaier17

Apropos of nothing when 100,000 refugees arrive problems are not solved via DM. They are solved buy putting a boss charge and then having deputies be actually responsible for each division. Repeat at local levels. Registration. Housing. Money. Work. Education. Health. Social.

I am now at the train station but from me a thread later today. I promise.

Today I met some residents of a privately run (they say it’s NOT run by Red Cross nor Caritas) dorm in 11th district. They say the food is horrible. The boy age 9 was already in hospital with food poisoning. They cannot eat it. As they are “fed” they only get €40 per month.

There are over 400 Ukrainians living there. One woman told me she is desperate to work and get out of there but was told she cannot her a job without an e-card, and she doesn’t have one yet. Same for language courses. She has blue card, says it’s not enough. Boy is in school.

I have the address. Journalists who wish to investigate I will put you in touch with families living there. I learned of all this via Hofer grocery cards distribution. The Ukrainians found me. Later today I promise an update on issues at train station & Wien emergency housing.

Another volunteer just wrote me about a similar former “hotel” also in 11th district. 78 people living there. Fed 2x per day. Given €40 per month *per family*. Huge lack of baby food, toys, clothes, shoes. Everyone now asks for summer sneakers. This is really, really bad.

Correction: the hotel is in 12th district. I also have the address.

Hi again. Am hearing (do not know this firsthand myself) Wien Messe will not accept new guests from tomorrow. This is the expo hall w/cots where at the moment around 400 Ukrainians are living. It is also the place where most are sent to spend the night if need a place to sleep.

When this emerged, neither I nor the other volunteers knew about it. Am hearing a new location in 12th district may be announced from tomorrow. It looks to be perhaps direct bus ride to the train station, which is hopeful, provided living conditions are ok. Important caveat.

If you are confused, it's not surprising. Imagine how the Ukrainians feel. I have also heard two other shelter-type locations mentioned as possible new places from June, for what purpose, not entirely clear. Personally, I am having a hard time understanding "cots & sandwiches".

One of the big problems we have on the train station is where Ukrainians should sleep when they arrive today and only get a train ticket for tomorrow. Until now, there were a handful of hotel rooms they could ask the charity for under special circumstances (charity discretion).

Unfortunately, I am now hearing from other volunteers there are no more free hotel rooms. Today I helped a mom with a 11yo and 4yo. They only got train tickets to Poland for tomorrow morning, 6am train. I walked with the mom to the charity desk to ask where they should sleep.

Mom was told to wait in the Lounge until 7pm and then come back to the desk at 7pm and ask the charity staff again and most likely they will be given cots to sleep on in the room tucked between platforms 6 and 7 at the station, run by the charity.

Now imagine you a pregnant women, or very elderly people, or someone handicapped, or a tiny baby. There used to be hotel rooms for such circumstances. I myself secured such vouchers from the charity in the past. But I am hearing this is no longer possible.

Which is ridiculous.

With summer season, the trains are more full. It is harder to book seats. Even if the tickets themselves are free, we must recommend to all Ukrainians travelling internationally (except Bratislava etc) to book seats. These cost €3.50/person. Same day tickets are not guaranteed.

In the beginning, I used to run around with a credit card and help a few families get into hotels, but this isn't sustainable, nor should it be. At one point Stadt Wien had a deal with a local hotel (there are about a dozen in the vicinity of Wien HBF), but that is now over.

Next problem? Hot food. A fellow volunteer told me we cannot bring in outside hot food. Some people tried once, were told off by ÖBB which manages the station. The charity has a cafeteria, but it is a walk from the station, and only feeds, by ticket, those travelling onwards.

The Lounge has coffee tea and light snacks, which is great. The cafeteria is also great, but you have to have time to get there and back. Also it closes 7pm. I would suggest vouchers to use at all the many fast food places, just like I do with McDonalds cards. Easy solution.

Vouchers are a metaphor. Vouchers are cash equivalent. Give Ukrainians money, they figure the rest out. An academic told me this week, research shows the best thing you can do for poor people is give them money and enable them to make their own choices. Makes complete sense.

Other issues fellow volunteers at Wien HBF mentioned: no on-site doctor, no available basic medications like fever reducer, etc. There is a doc in a container but it is a walk, I have done it, and even then we still had search for a pharmacy on a Sunday just to get Nurofen.

Regarding hotels "today we didn't find anything for a family with 3 kids youngest under 1. And nothing for 90 year olds who needed a wheelchair". Didn't find in this case means charity did not allocate rooms because I supposed they don't have them anymore. They did have them b4.

Another issue which should be discussed openly is unlimited free train travel across much of Europe for Ukrainians. We have to separate between those freshly arrived fleeing war and "tourists" as we translators call them. Bratislava tourists lining up are a problem, for example.

I am told when trains arrive many Ukrainians do not easily find their way to the charity at the station from "C D E" on the platforms. There used to be ÖAMTC shuttles to the Train of Hope welcome center at Stadion. Those were great! But they were 100% volunteer, and no more.

Basically, all of us who have spent any time at Wien HBF know what the problems are. In my mind, the problems are visible when you move around as a Ukrainian would, from A to B to C and try to get things done: train ticket, meal, place to sleep if necessary. Not rocket science.

What is lacking at the train station, just like in Austria more broadly, is real leadership. Each party is responsible for its own fiefdom, and doesn't see beyond that. When I help at ÖBB desks, I go in directly, focus on ticket sales. I then "send" Ukrainians to the charity.

Today when I left, a boy of about 18 came in, introduced himself, and said he wanted to help. I gave him the rundown in 5 minutes, introduced him to ÖBB staff, he put on an orange jacket, I left, he took over. Another young woman was also volunteer translating. That's the system.

Circling back to the start of this thread, if we as a society want Ukrainians to stay in Austria, we have to make their lives more than just a roof over their heads and some kind of "food" at mealtimes. They need ASAP housing and financial independence. A kick start. A real life.

The current offer on the table to Ukrainians by the Austrian government is totally insufficient. Either offer them real money now, a real chance to work, with real housing, or be honest and upfront about your desire that they all change their minds and go to Deutschland instead.

@threadreaderapp please unroll