Key Figures
- Total beneficiaries in Ukraine: 8, 085
- Total beneficiaries in Romania: 14, 048
- Monthly beneficiaries of the Informative Screens in Poland: +6, 000
- Total data exchanged in temporary shelters in Vinnytsia, Lviv, and Dnipro: 312TB
Two years ago, on the 24th of February 2022, the Russian army invaded Ukraine, and millions of people were forced to flee their homes. Since the beginning of the war, TSF has been committed to providing connectivity and information to displaced people across three countries: Ukraine, Poland, and Romania.
TSF’s response to the crisis in Ukraine
February 2022 - Deployment
Four days after the invasion, TSF deployed a team to Eastern Poland to assess the humanitarian situation and respond to the connectivity needs of affected people and organizations.
March 2022 - Connectivity on the bus corridor from Palanca to Romania
Thousands of families fled Ukraine to escape the violence. Many used the convoy buses set up by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration, and Moldovan and Romanian civil protection to transport refugees safely to Romania.
For these people, the bus journey meant long hours of uncertainty and stress after leaving their homes and lives behind. TSF installed a free Wi-Fi connection for the refugees, who were then able to contact their loved ones (83%) and obtain information on the latest developments in the war (44%).
Over 14,000 unique devices connected to the network, and 94% of people who have used the Internet connection report it has positively impacted their lives.
April 2022 - Connectivity Support to NGOs in Ukraine
TSF provided connectivity, and in some cases training, to various NGOs, including medical NGOs such as the Ukrainian NGO Vostok-SOS, which coordinated medical and food supplies to 100 sites in Ukraine, and demining NGOs such as HALO Trust.
A collaboration between TSF and AICM, the International Association for Medical Cooperation, also enabled doctors to be equipped with mobile connectivity when traveling to recently liberated villages where connectivity was non-existent, ensuring effective communication for medical teams.
TSF also provided free Internet to the first two Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) shelters in Lviv.
June 2022 - Information Diffusion for Refugees in Poland
In 2022, Poland was the European country with the highest number of recorded Ukrainian refugees, many registering for Temporary Protection or passing through the country on their journey.
Most of them, mainly women and children, had little to no information about their rights and legal options. That is why TSF launched the project of Informative Screens for Ukrainian refugees in reception sites set up by UNHCR and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Poland to provide essential information for forcibly displaced people.
October 2022 - Providing Connectivity to Temporary Shelters
As the war worsened, millions of Ukrainians were forcibly displaced from their homes within the country. TSF accompanied and supported IDPs’ journey in temporary shelters in Vinnytsia, Lviv, and Dnipro, providing them with connectivity and free internet access. 97% of the people at the shelters reported using the internet connections offered by TSF, with 312 TB of data exchanged and 6,028 unique devices connected since the beginning of the project.
“This is a connection with my son in Kryvyi Rih and with my relatives in general. And, of course, it's good for children too, to study and to find news on what’s happening right now, where is safe and where is not.”
Svetlana, IDP from Bakhmut, Donetsk region.
February 2023 – Training Organizations in Ukraine
Our team in Ukraine provided training on satellite connectivity equipment for the NGO Première Urgence International.
October 2023 – Connecting New Centers Across Ukraine
In May, August, and October 2023, TSF equipped four new IDP centers in Brody, Lviv (2), and Chernivtsi with free Internet access. The camp in Brody is located in a forest outside of the city, meaning a satellite connection is the only way to connect them to the Internet.
97% of people staying in TSF-connected shelters use the internet provided by TSF.
February 2024 - The Situation Today in Poland and Ukraine
64% of the people surveyed in centers in Poland said that the information screens had provided them with crucial information on the rights and responsibilities of Ukrainian citizens living in Poland, as well as other valuable services, including legal assistance, help for women, NGOs working in this field, etc.
TSF also extended its operations to IDP centers run by Community Organized Relief Effort, Danish Refugee Council and local NGOs, and UNHCR and UNICEF.
“People can read [the information] and then come to us with specific questions and we can give them more details. This partnership eases our work a lot.”
Jana, manager of the local NGO “Free Shop”.
There are currently 9 IDP shelters in Ukraine connected with TSF free Wi-Fi. The TSF Ukraine team is also working on providing more centers with connectivity and collaborating with new local partners.