A Fermanagh photograph has travelled to the Polish border with Ukraine to document the ongoing refugee crisis. 

Ronan McGrade, a photographer from Enniskillen, journeyed to the area on Tuesday to cover the unfolding events as a humanitarian crisis continues to unfold across Europe.

Over half a million civilians have fled Ukraine, according to the United Nations (UN).

Ronan spoke about why he has chosen to travel to Poland to work for a few days, he said: “With the news there is a lot of focus on the war itself as opposed to the unfolding refugee crisis, it would do no harm to highlight it further in the West which is why I am going to head out. The number [of refugees] is going to keep increasing.”

Four million refugees

The European Union (EU) estimates that up to four million people may try to leave the country because of the Russian invasion, it is estimated by the UN that Poland has taken in 280,000 refugees. The Polish government estimate that a further 50,000 are arriving every day.

Many will be familiar with some of the heart-breaking images taken across the Border as families cross the Border and men stay behind on presidential orders to fight the Russian forces.

Looking at the situation in the region, Ronan said: “At the minute they [contacts] say people are scared especially for the next few weeks; it is a bit unknown as to what the next few weeks will bring to Poland, Lithuania and the other Baltic countries.

“At the minute there is a lot of preparation for an influx of refugees and a lot of people are very welcoming and are just preparing the best they can to give them what they can. From what I can see on the news so far, things are getting a bit more unhinged as times go by.”

Explaining why it is important as a photographer to document the situation in Poland and Ukraine, Ronan said: “There is a lot of disinformation for people further East than here and it is important to get word out there that the Border is open as well as to highlight the crisis for the refugees out there.

“They are essentially homeless, it is about getting the word out there and helping them as much as possible.

“It is essentially history unfolding before our eyes.”