Location (dpa/lnw) - Friendly rooms, time to play - and above all finally peace: The 30 girls and boys from an evacuated Ukrainian children's home have settled in well in the Lippe district nine months after fleeing the war. NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) visited her there for the second time on Thursday. "When you see the children, you see much happier children today. They have rediscovered a bit of their childhood here," said Wüst afterwards. "They are no longer refugees here, they are children again."
The girls and boys from the children's home in Mariupol fled with their caregivers after the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and, with the help of volunteers, found accommodation in a former facility for the disabled in Lage in the Lippe district. Wüst said that her fate had already affected him personally during his first visit in March.
So far, around 200,000 people who have fled the Ukraine have come to North Rhine-Westphalia, mainly mothers and their children. Due to the Russian attacks on the Ukrainian infrastructure, there would be "far more" over the winter. "Anyone who flees from Putin's war is very welcome in North Rhine-Westphalia," said Wüst. Accommodating the many people is only possible with the commitment of many volunteer helpers.
