Head of Ukraine’s Catholic Church thanks Poland for Aid

Major Archbishop of Ukraine’s Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, expressed his gratitude for Poland’s support during Russia’s invasion during a conference in Warsaw yesterday. The Archbishop made the statement “Although Ukraine is no longer the talk of the media, Poland and its people keep helping Ukraine, maintaining solidarity with us.”

Archbishop Shevchuk went on to describe the scope of human displacement by the war, reporting that fourteen million Ukrainians have fled their homes since its beginning, with the largest group, two million strong, being in Poland. Archbishop Shevchuk reiterated his gratitude saying “thanks to assistance from across the world, everyone fleeing the Russian invasion has been provided with food and shelter.”

Source: IAR, PAP, PolskieRadio

Reactions in Poland to the conflict in the Middle East

The Polish Council of Christians and Jews released a statement yesterday, saying that by launching its attacks on Israel from Gaza on October 7th , Hamas „violated the right to live and the right to dignity” of Israeli civilians.

The statement added that these attacks have sparked a war „in which hundreds of thousands of people on both sides have suffered.”

The Polish cross-faith organisation also called on authorities and Muslim leaders around the world to counter the rise in anti-Semitic sentiment, which it said „could lead to further tragedies.”

And in Warsaw, the Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski has banned a planned pro-Palestinian demonstration set to set to finish outside of the Israeli Embassy citing an antisemitic sign displayed by a foreign student at a previous protest, allegedly inciting hate and violence against Jews.

Two thousand demonstrators were expected, another one of the reason it was canceled. The Israeli Embassy, located on a street, would struggle to safely accommodate such a number.

The organizers have appealed to a court against the decision hoping for a ruling in time for this coming Saturday.

Source: Polskie Radio, NotesFromPoland

Polish Inventor Wins Humanitarian Award

Polish Inventor Piotr Tłuszcz has received a James Dyson Humanitarian Award for his medical rescue vehicle design. The James Dyson awards is an international competition recognizing innovations in engineering.

The vehicle, known as the Life Chariot, is a lightweight all-terrain MEDEVAC vehicle with a suspension built for extreme conditions.

Tłuszcz stated he drew inspiration from observing MEDEVAC challenges in the war for Ukraine. Two models have already assisted a Ukrainian medical unit and a Polish battlefield rescue team save many lives in the conflict. Tłuszcz commented, expressing hope that the benefits brought with his award will help his invention save even more lives.

Source: PAP, PolskieRadio

Weather

Today’s weather will be partly cloudy with more overcast conditions and rain expected mid afternoon around 3pm. The temperature will range between zero and five degrees Celsius or thirty-two to forty-one degrees Fahrenheit. There will be low to mild winds and a humidity level of ninety-two percent.

Bryce Buren