Ukrainian children, including those with special needs, access education, and health services

For almost a year, Moldova has become her home and a safe place for Viktoria and her five children. She smiled as she opened the door to her apartment in Ciorescu, where her family is sheltered, while holding little Ismail in her arms. Just a few days ago, Viktoria and Ismail, who is 18 months old, returned from the hospital where the little boy had just won the latest fight for his life. 

"Ismail is a child with special needs and has had heart surgery, so any infection or cold is dangerous for his health. The health workers in Chisinau have saved his life many times. We were just discharged from the Intensive Care Unit at the "Valentin Ignatenco" Municipal Children's Hospital,” says the 33-year-old mother. 

While Viktoria was taking care of Ismail in the hospital, her four children, Omar (11), Timur (nine), Amina (eight), and Mariam (four), were sheltered by another refugee family, and a volunteer from Moldova, who are helping Viktoria whenever she needs it.  

Viktoria is happy to have many friends here who give her hope and strength to find some normalcy and routine in her life. Her children have made new friends in school and kindergarten. Asked what she likes most about Moldova, Amina, the eight-year-old says the school is the most exciting place because she has new playmates and learns Romanian. 

"When I grow up, I want to be a singer," says Amina. 

Before 24 February 2022, Viktoria enjoyed motherhood in peace and tried to give her children the best in her hometown, Odesa.

Her children attended school and kindergarten, and Ismail accessed the healthcare services he needed. The war robbed them of safety, play, and adventure. Their only hope now is the support of the Moldovan national authorities and humanitarian organizations. 

"In Odesa, the children were frightened by sirens and rocket attacks. Now, they are feeling good. I have integrated them into school and kindergarten in Moldova. They like it," says Viktoria.  

UNICEF supports the integration of refugee children into the education system in Moldova. In 2022, over 37,700 children from Ukraine and Moldova joined formal and non-formal education programmes, and over 1,800 children who fled the conflict have been enrolled in school and kindergarten. 

Viktoria's face lights up when Ismail tries to take his first steps.  

"When I came from Ukraine, Ismail couldn't even sit down. However, after just eight visits to the Voinicel Early Intervention Center, he began to take his first steps. No one can imagine how happy and grateful I was. The employees at Voinicel supported his development and provided me with hygiene products and food for children. They also visited us in the hospital when we needed it most," says Viktoria. 

For six years, UNICEF has been working with the Voinicel Early Intervention Center to improve the quality of life of families raising children with disabilities, by providing early childhood intervention services.  

Since the onset of the war, UNICEF Moldova has supported families fleeing the conflict. To date, about 11 refugee families benefited from ECI services and hygiene kits.  

Additionally, UNICEF secured 50 million lei to provide refugee children from Ukraine with free medical services in Moldova.

For Viktoria, the most critical support is the monthly stiped she receives from the cash assistance programme developed by UNHCR and UNICEF, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. It is the only source of income for the family, without which Viktoria cannot buy food for the children or pay bills. To date, 45,445 refugee families like Viktoria’s have benefited from the financial support of the cash assistance programme. UNICEF thanks the Governments of Japan, Sweden, Great Britain, Austria, Italian, Norway, Latvia. Belgium, the USA BPRM US Bureau of population, the United States Fund for UNICEF to support refugee families with health, early child development, education, and social care services in Moldova.