This humanitarian flight is part of the "Check-In
Esperança" initiative, the result of a partnership between the organisation
based in Portugal Ukrainian Refugees UAPT, and the company Leroy Merlin.
In a joint statement, the promoters of the initiative
mention that among the 170 refugees there are women and children, namely babies
in arms, as well as pets.
For the Ukrainian Refugees UAPT, which provides support to
refugees from the war in Ukraine, this flight has “an even more relevant because
it takes place days before Christmas”.
A few hours after landing in Portugal, the plane will depart
again for Moldova with 15 tonnes of essential goods, such as heaters,
generators, and hygiene products, among others, to be transported by humanitarian
trucks to Kyiv, where they will be distributed by the population according to
identified needs.
The refugees who will arrive in Portugal on Thursday will be installed in the Lisbon region, with Ukrainian Refugees UAPT responsible for accommodation, while integration into the job market will be in charge of Leroy Merlin.