Konecranes staff join the aid effort given to Ukrainian refugees
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Konecranes staff join the aid effort given to Ukrainian refugees

At the end of February 2022, Konecranes was closely affected by news about the war in Ukraine. Konecranes has over 400 employees in Ukraine, mainly in Odessa, Mariupol and Zaporozhye, directly impacted by the escalating situation in the country.  

As a Group Konecranes made a donation to the International Red Cross, supporting victims and refugees of the Ukraine conflict. In addition to this monetary support, significant help has been provided by our employees globally and especially in the neighboring countries.

Konecranes staff lending their hand

Konecranes staff lending their hand

The worry for our colleagues amidst military aggression quickly turned into a will to help and even faster into concrete support activities and volunteering. Konecranes teams in Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Greece organized themselves to support colleagues and their families leaving Ukraine, providing access to transport, temporary accommodation, and information on how to seek further support.

Other countries too, such as Germany and Finland, are providing help by donating, organizing accommodation and other practical support for arriving colleagues and their families, including those of subcontractors working for Konecranes in Ukraine.

Many Konecranes employees in those countries continue delivering help also to the wider refugee population crossing different borders. For example, every day there are new people coming into Poland, mostly women and children. The journey to safety can usually take more than 24 hours and once they arrive, they are hungry and tired. Our local colleagues are volunteering in different ways, providing assistance, clothing and food.

Food delivery station for the people crossing the border

Help directly to people crossing the border

One of our colleagues among the volunteers supporting charity work set up a food delivery station, cooking warm food for the people crossing the border. Volunteers are on stand-by every day of the week, ready to help. Some staff in the neighboring countries have decided to take time off from work to go help the refugees close to the border.

While our teams are doing what they can to help people relocate and find sanctuary in a foreign country, everyone’s hope is of course that people would be able to return home soon. Until then, we take steps forward day by day, resiliently helping the ones who experience hardship due to this crisis.

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