Moldova

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, more than 10 million people had to flee their home. More than 1,108,000 of them crossed the border towards Moldova, which until now is registering 120,472 refugees. Most of the refugees are hosted in private accommodation but also in several Refugee Accommodation Centers (RAC) across the country. Thanks to ChildFund Alliance and its partner ChildFund Germany, we immediately took action to give support to people affected by the war, both inside and outside the Ukrainian borders. We have been operating in Moldova since March 2022, providing support to families who have crossed the border in search of shelter and essential support, with particular attention to children. The goal is to restore a sense of normality for those who have had to leave their homes and are still suffering the traumas of the conflict.

Moldova is a small country between southern Ukraine and Romania, with a population of 2.6 million people. Over a million people from Ukraine have crossed the border in search of a safe place. This has made Moldova the country with the highest number of displaced people per capita in Europe. Refugee’ flows out of Ukraine are continuous and evolve with the dynamics of the conflict. By the end of February, more than 817,000 people had re-crossed the border back to Ukraine. Currently, more than 120,000 people are registered under the Temporary Protection in Moldova, hosted mainly in private accommodations (97%), but also in refugee accommodation centers (RAC) set up by the government. They are mostly women and children.

Both the government and the Moldovan people have a positive approach towards the Ukrainian refugees in the country. Nonetheless, being Moldova the smallest economy in Europe, it is suffering from a high rate of inflation and rising energy prices. For this reason, humanitarian support to Ukrainian refugees must go hand in hand with integration and livelihoods, not only for refugees but also for the most vulnerable people in the Moldovan society.

We decided to intervene in Moldova immediately, from the beginning of the conflict, as the country became one of the primarily reception point of individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine, perceived as a safe place for many families in difficulty. We have supported over 43,000 people in the country by the end of 2023, especially women and children, with a multi-sector approach, and continue to invest in projects allowing a better immediate support and long-term integration of Ukrainian refugees.

To guarantee children, women and men first aid support through the distribution of food and basic necessities, four emergency transit centers were set up in Palanca, at the beginning of the conflict. Now we continue to provide fresh food and hygiene products to Ukrainians sheltered in Chisinau, which remains the biggest hub of refugees nowadays. From March to June 2024 the fresh Food distribution reached 2,000 household a week and we supported 750 families through hygiene products distribution.

To deploy a comprehensive approach and support refugees in their transition, we put in place cross-border Education and Health programmes focusing on non-formal education and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support. We opened its first Community Center in Chisinau in 2023 through which our team of educators and psychologists are continuously providing educational and psychological support to over 700 people, from which 65% are Ukrainians. Our cross-border intervention has guaranteed psychosocial support to over 7,000 people, 70% of whom are minors and educational support to over 8,500 individuals, 80% of whom are minors, since the beginning of the conflict. Not only focusing on Ukrainian refugees present in Moldova but also in-country vulnerable communities, we are strengthening its support in the Northern region where the Roma communities concentrates and face stigmatization and discrimination challenges. On top of supporting those communities with non-formal education, food and hygiene kits distribution, we are sustaining its action and collaboration with governmental and civil society actors by opening three community spaces and women safe spaces to better support Roma women and youth.

Given the context of the country, our response also focuses on strengthening the resilience of host institutions and communities, as well as the livelihood of the refugee community, by promoting economic inclusion, access to essential services and social cohesion among refugee and host communities. These elements play a key role in ensuring that refugees become more resilient and self-reliant, and they reduce the factors of risk and vulnerability. It is why all our activities in the country take into account social cohesion and the active involvement of both the refugee and the host communities, to strengthen integration. In fact, food and other basic needs come mostly from local producers, to support the local economy and small Moldovan producers, while the refugee population is actively involved in the organization and delivery of food parcels.

WeWorld's intervention in Ukraine is possible thanks to the support of ChildFund Alliance, Childfund Australia, Childfund Korea, Childfund Japan, Childfund New Zealand, Educo and many companies and people who are supporting us.