Moldovan government along with its partners consolidates response to crisis of Ukrainian refugees, backing host families

Chisinau, 27 May /MOLDPRES/ - There are more than 83,800 refugees from Ukraine in Moldova, of whom about 44,500 are minors. The Single Crisis Management Centre today presented the latest data on the situation of refugees from the neighbor country.  In the last three months, 474,770 people have entered Moldova, and 74,870 of them returned to Ukraine, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.   

The Ukrainian refugees who remained in Moldova continue to live in those 95 centres of temporary placement and in host families. The rate of accommodation at the placement centres is presently 46.4 per cent. The Moldovan government, non-governmental organizations and the World Food Programme distributed more than 716,000 daily meals at the placement centres in all.     

On this period, about 14,000 calls for primary, emergency medical assistance and for hospitalization were registered, of which: 86 COVID cases, 101 births, 518 dialysis sessions and 241 sessions of chemical and radio therapy.  

It is worth noting that 482 refugees found jobs and 1,135 employers showed openness for citizens of Ukraine, providing 2,163 vacant jobs. At the same time, 282 Ukrainian citizens are registered at territorial subdivisions of the National Employment Agency (ANOFM), in order to benefit from support at employment.  

Also, 54,029 refugees received monthly financial assistance on behalf of the United Nations Refugee Agency, of whom 27,449 people benefited from the second installment of financial assistance. Concomitantly with the support provided to refugees, about 10,500 host families from Moldova received the single allocation on the behalf of the World Food Programme.  

The data was unveiled at the event organized by the UN Refugee Agency, along with Moldova’s government, UN Agencies and partners, which today launched the Regional Plan of Response to the refugees’ crisis.   

„The government will further provide every needed support to all those who flee the war in Ukraine,’’ the head of the single crisis management centre, set up by Moldova’s government, colonel Adrian Efros said. ‘’In these conditions, we rely on the enhancement of the assistance of the international partners, so that we supply the refugees with the essential things, as well as help them integrate into the social life and back the host community where they live.’’   

The representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Moldova, Francesca Bonelli, thanked the host community and the government for the continuous help and hospitability proved for the refugees. ‘’An essential part of the inter-agents’ response will be aimed at supporting the capacity of response of the government, as well as of the community from Moldova, which had an extraordinary behavior as regards the hosting, nourishment and the emergency support for the refugees,’’ Bonelli said. She noted that the refugees’ vulnerability was growing and almost all of them need humanitarian assistance.    

UNHCR and its partners need about 414 million dollars, in order to back about one million refugees, who might reach Moldova till late 2022. The promotion of resilience, covering the expenses, the social and economic inclusion of refugees, providing of micro-grants for independent activities and of small enterprises, professional qualification trainings, validation and certification of competences – are basic aspects of the plan, which brings together the efforts of 40 organizations, including UN Agencies, national and international NGOs, religious institutions and the civil society.   

Photo: Government