Blue Dot Centers Make a Critical Difference for Ukrainian Refugees

For families uprooted by the war in Ukraine, Blue Dot centers represent stability, safety, protection and hope. Blue Dots, jointly established by UNHCR and UNICEF, are one-stop shops and safe spaces that provide critical information and protection services for children, families and others with specific needs. There are more than 30 operational locations in Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, with more planned as the crisis continues.

USA for UNHCR Director of Private Sector Partnerships, Lacey Stone, had the opportunity to visit a UNHCR-led Blue Dot Center in Warsaw, Poland in 2022 where refugees fleeing Ukraine were provided with a safe space to access vital services.

“I spoke to mothers who were forced to flee at a moment’s notice and with little more than the clothes on their backs. Many crossed the border into Poland carrying a child in one arm and a rolling suitcase of precious belongings in the other.”