Anne Pagano: Stand With Ukrainian Refugees

by Contributor | March 5, 2022 5:17 pm

Letter to the Editor:
“Thousands Rush to Flee Cities as Russian Assault Widens” — that’s the front page headline in today’s (March 5) New York Times. In less than two weeks, Putin’s horrific attacks on Ukraine already have made refugees of more than a million of its citizens.

The United Nations estimates that as many as four million people from the country of 44 million could ultimately be forced to flee, in what the UN describes as the fastest-moving refugee crisis since World War II.

We watch here, stunned. We are reassured to see overwhelming support for the Ukrainian people and condemnation of Putin’s actions. We are encouraged by our public’s donations and the administration’s pledge of $54 million in humanitarian assistance for those suffering.

We are pleased to see that Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon issued a letter March 2 to the White House, welcoming Ukranian refugees to their communities.

We hope that Mayor Barlow and our Common Council publicly declare their support for lawfully admitted refugees and pledge to provide needed resources.

Although Oswego has not received any refugees in recent years (as far as we know), our city has a noble tradition of doing so, most notably during World War II when Jewish and other refugees were housed at Fort Ontario.

Our group, Oswego Welcomes New Americans (OWNA), works to lay the groundwork for the successful integration of refugees into our community.

OWNA is working now to qualify to welcome and sponsor an Afghan family. We would welcome the opportunity to offer support to any and all refugees moving here.

With the talent and resources we have in this community, we hope we’ll soon begin to write a new chapter by once again welcoming refugees here. For now, please visit our Facebook page, “http://www.facebook.com/OswegoWelcomesNewAmericans/” www.facebook.com/OswegoWelcomesNewAmericans, which has articles with links to organizations and groups on the ground aiding the world’s newest refugees.

Sincerely,

Oswego Welcomes New Americans

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/anne-pagano-stand-with-ukrainian-refugees/

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