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HEN I APPROACHED the Hala Arena Ukrainian refugee centre in Poznan, Poland, I was struck by the silence. Several families sat quietly outside, waiting with overstuffed duffel bags. One girl sat on a suitcase, hugging a teddy bear with a weary look in her eyes. The same silence was inside the centre, in the food and clothing distribution area and by the makeshift cots that filled the arena. It was the first time I had ever participated in a humanitarian effort, and the experience was intense. I joined a local group that was providing clothes for newly arrived families.