Over the past few months international organisations, educational institutions and independent specialists have been responding to the current humanitarian crisis by sharing their expertise with those in need. Numerous translated leaflets have been published for refugees, and these can also be helpful to public organisations. It’s now up to the wider public to make good use of them and spread the word.
For example, the Psychology Tools portal has published Ukrainian, Polish and Russian translations of psychoeducational resources related to trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These information sheets can be downloaded free of charge and used for children and adults.
The University of Manchester has produced a two-page leaflet developed from the experience of displaced Syrian parents in the country’s civil war, and it has now been translated into Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Romanian, German and Dutch in the hope it will make a difference to struggling families.
For refugees who require medical care, Doctors of the World, an independent humanitarian movement, has uploaded a leaflet on how the NHS works in the UK. Versions include Russian and Ukrainian translations.
For clinicians and researchers the International Trauma Consortium has released a series of mental health materials that have been translated into Ukrainian and Russian.
A few councils have already responded proactively to the language gap felt by Ukrainian refugees on their arrival in the UK, by hiring Ukrainian and Russian-speaking members of staff.
We at Talk Russian Ltd have also been assisting refugees, their hosts and applicants for the Home for Ukraine scheme, by translating relevant supporting documents into English for visa applications and subsequent applications for employment. You can email us enquiry@talkrussian.com or call 0207 0436940 for more information.
