The Polish government has extended the right to stay and assistance for more than one million Ukrainian refugees, but only until 30 June.

There is growing concern that the budgets of international aid organisations might be reduced, but their support is still very much needed.

“We help people with their taxes and declarations, a lot of pensioners come to us with requests for help, even small things, but they need it very much,” said Svitlana Kotova of the Polish Legal Help and Information Centre.

“I think that this help is still important and should still be provided. The war is not over, it is not even half over,” she added.

Given the uncertainty of the situation and the number of vulnerable refugees, the UN refugee agency and about 100 partners decided to join forces and launch an appeal for continued assistance.

“To assist the government with the work that it is doing, to assist Polish host communities. It’s over a million refugees who remain now in Poland which creates a certain stress on social services,” said UNHCR refugee coordinator for Poland, Kevin J Allen.

The government is working on amending the law governing the stay of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, which will see them allowed to remain in the country but probably under different conditions.

Wanda Nowicka, a member of parliament for the Left Party said it was a good moment to assess the current real and necessary needs of refugees and exiles from Ukraine.

“After June, there will another such a review of the situation. Maybe there are some needs that are no longer valid, maybe there are some new needs, and according to this, the government will make the necessary decisions,” she said.

Meanwhile, politicians in Poland are focusing on appeals for military aid for Ukraine which, as they emphasise, is currently a key issue.