The Cost of War
Due to the onslaught of suffering in the news, humans become desensitized, in a way, to violence. But seeing the Ukrainian refugees in-person can change that perspective entirely, allowing us to see true cost of war.
On April 13, on the outskirts of a border crossing point in San Ysidro, a relief camp was set up to bring in Ukrainian refugees crossing the Mexican-American border. Press was not allowed to enter the camp – though ‘camp’ may be a generous word to describe the motley of seating and canvas. Ukrainian arrivals received food and places to sit as they waited for their hosts to pick them up, or for their buses to arrive. Reporters weren’t allowed to enter the encampment, so interviewing was a no-go . Even if reporters were allowed, most spoke not a word of English.
It was this relief spot in San Ysidro that finally conveyed to me the true cost of war. Despite having interviewed Ukrainian-Americans through their tears and anguish, it was only through the numbed silence of the refugees, through the realization that they would never see their homes again, that the cost of war truly resonated.
“Now we are safe, fortunately, but in Ukraine, it’s a very difficult situation. Our other relatives are not safe now, they are hiding in some underground place,” said Dasha Yashchyshyna. Her family stood around her, protective in their body language. She's young, with a cheery disposition, in spite of everything. When asked why her family had decided to come to the United States she said, “Because it’s one of the best countries in the world, and I think that here there’s a good future for children, for me, and my parents.”
Yashchyshyna’s journey was long and arduous. “We left Ukraine and drove to Bucharest. From the airport, we flew to Madrid... from there, we flew to Bogota... from Bogota we flew to Mexico... then they said our flight was canceled. We waited there for 12 hours... Then we flew to Tijuana, and in the airport, there were volunteers that helped us. We went to a camp for Ukrainian refugees... at night we went to the border and crossed.” The reaction to this story from the reporters was one of open-mouthed horror. When asked if it was a stressful experience she said, “We were tired. My sister had a bloody nose because she was so tired. But I think everything will be okay.”
The story of Yashchyshyna's family's journey is enough to completely change the way one views war. Rather than it being a distant conflict, it became real. It became something life-altering. Due to the onslaught of suffering in the news, humans become desensitized, in a way, to violence. But seeing the Ukrainian refugees in-person can change that perspective entirely, allowing us to see true cost of war.