When Ukrainians started streaming across the border after Russia invaded their country on Feb. 24, residents in this Polish city — like many others across central Europe — sprang into action to help settle and house refugees fleeing war.
Three months later Rzeszow's population of nearly 200,000 has swelled, at times as much as 50%, and Mayor Konrad Fijolek predicts the city will need new schools and housing to absorb refugees unable or unwilling to return home.
The pressures on his city illustrate the challenges facing central European nations as they shift to providing long-term assistance to refugees, who are mostly women and children.