Immediate support provided to refugees from Ukraine by UN Moldova

In the context of the war in Ukraine 16 UN Moldova agency and programs with presence in the country have quickly mobilized their forces and in coordination with the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the UN Refugee Agency, the UN leading agency of the Ukraine Refugee Response Plan, provided immediate support to persons from Ukraine who had taken refuge in the Republic of Moldova.

As of today, over 250,000 people from Ukraine have crossed the country's border, out of which over 100,000 remained in Moldova, these numbers being in continuous rise as the military actions intensify. Almost 90% of the total number of refugees are women with children – one of the most vulnerable group of persons being highly exposed to different risks and challenges.

In order to provide immediate assistance to refugees from Ukraine, a number of UN agencies, including IOM, OHCHR, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UN Women, WHO and others, have taken visits at the border crossing points between Moldova and Ukraine as well to first temporary shelters put in place to assess the humanitarian needs.

To date, the UN Moldova team has provided the following types of assistance:

• Personal hygiene products, medicines and medical equipment, food packages – dignity kits, diapers, wet wipes, disinfectants, essential medicine and food packages, provided by IOM, ILO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, WHO;
• Information materials for refugees: leaflets with information needed for refugees, distributed upon entry into the country, provided by IOM, UN Women;
• Crisis Communication Support for the Single Center for Refugee Crisis Management in Ukraine: UNDP
• Protective equipment against COVID19: masks, disinfectants, provided by WHO
• Accommodation / items required for accommodation: support for temporary accommodation in NCTUM resorts, tent heaters, tents, mobile shower cabins, lamps and lighting equipment, beds, mattresses, blankets provided by IOM, ILO, UNDP, UNODC, UNHCR;
• Equipment for basic needs of relevant authorities: computers, scanners, work equipment provided by IOM
• Monitoring border crossings and temporary shelters / shelters by OHCHR and UNHCR to identify refugee needs, as well as to identify potential gaps in the national support system and make proposals for their removal.

The total value of the support offered as of March 6 is estimated to be over 1,5 million lei, funds provided by the UN agencies and projects funded by the EU, Switzerland, Sweden and other development partners.

The United Nations in Moldova is in a continuous process of coordination with central and local authorities to address the needs of refugees.

At the same time, the United Nations is also grateful to all citizens of the Republic of Moldova who have mobilized so quickly and have shown generosity, solidarity and humanity towards refugees from Ukraine.

The acronyms used in the press release:

UN - United Nations

IOM - International Organization for Migration

ILO - International Labor Organization

OHCHR - UN Office for Human Rights

UNDP - United Nations Development Program

UNHCR - UN Refugee Agency

UNFPA - UN Population Fund

UNICEF - UN Children's Fund

UN Women - UN Entity for Gender Equality

UNODC - UN Office on Drugs and Crime

WHO - World Health Organization

EU - European Union

NCTUM - National Confederation of Trade Unions from Moldova