Appeal Code: 6642
Situation
Updated March 2023
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a regional humanitarian crisis with over 8 million Ukrainian refugees recorded across Europe. The Republic of Moldova lies directly on Ukraine’s western border. As of February 26, 2023, 780,896 people, of whom 90% are Ukrainian nationals, have entered Moldova from Ukraine since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Most have moved on to Romania and other European nations and many have returned to Ukraine, but, according to UNHCR, 109,348 remain as of February 26, 2023. (Unofficial estimates of the current number of refugees in Moldova vary from around 60,000 to 90,000.) Despite being one of the poorest nations in Europe, and not being a member of the European Union, the people of Moldova have opened their arms to welcome Ukrainian refugees. In fact, Moldova has welcomed as many Ukrainian refugees as any of Ukraine’s neighbors relative to population size, and it has done so without the same level of resources that European Union nations have had.
People who have fled to Moldova have had to face numerous challenges in rapidly establishing new lives, for an unknown period. They must try to secure safe housing, sufficient nutrition, comprehensive healthcare, stable education, and employment. Women and children, who together make up over 80% of Ukrainian refugees, often face heightened protection risks and vulnerabilities that jeopardize safety and well-being. Disruptions in social networks, increasing tensions between host and refugee communities, and the inability to cover basic needs make women and children more susceptible to gender-based violence, trafficking, and sexual exploitation and abuse. During the winter months, these issues are often exacerbated by poor mental health, social isolation, winterization costs, and an energy crisis.
The people of Moldova have shown extraordinary generosity and compassion in welcoming Ukrainian refugees. Only about 3% of refugees in Moldova are living in official Refugee Accommodation Centers (RACs). There are currently 66 RACs with a total capacity of 4,166 hosting approximately 2,500 people. Refugees not sheltered in RACs are living in hotels, apartments, churches, and private accommodations. CWS and its partners estimate that about one-third of Ukrainian refugees in Moldova are hosted by Moldovan families in their homes. Ukrainians who have remained in Moldova have generally stayed because they want to be close to Ukraine to make the return easier, have pre-existing connections to Moldova, and tend to be older and poorer than those who have traveled onwards.
Displacement has resulted in the loss of livelihood for many Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. Most heads of households report not working while in Moldova (72%), compared to when they were living in Ukraine (12%). Negative coping strategies employed by refugee families in Moldova include using savings, and reducing household health and education expenditures, including withdrawing children from school.
The top five needs of Ukrainian refugees in Moldova are cash (71%), food assistance (66%), healthcare (43%), shelter (43%) and employment (14%). Less than half of all refugee families (43%) reported being aware of the existence of psychosocial services in the area, with awareness higher for families living in RACs (62%) as compared to families living outside RACs (41%). Encouragingly, trust in Moldovan authorities among Ukrainian refugees seems high. Most families (83%) stated that they would report any threat of violence to the police, while 14% stated they would report the threat to a government hotline.
CWS Response
CWS has been working in Moldova in partnership with local organizations for over 15 years focusing on sustainable livelihoods, renewable energy, and addressing rural poverty. The expanded programs that we have built in the year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine have continued that approach by working alongside host communities and local organizations such as Diaconia Social Mission, Ormax, Soarta Community Association, Roma National Center, Romni, and Zdorovii Gorod.
Together, these programs have provided food, hygiene, winter, and school supplies; education, psychosocial, psychological, livelihoods, and medical support; and support to Roma refugees, including legal counsel. These programs have reached over 12,000 refugees and host community members so far and are still growing.
From rapidly deploying assistance to those most in need in the first weeks of the crisis, to investments in local infrastructure, including a forklift for a food bank, modular classrooms, and photo-voltaic solar installations on public buildings hosting refugees, CWS’s focus continues to be on supporting the most vulnerable and marginalized. As needs stretch from short to medium-term, livelihoods, inclusion, and social cohesion are top priorities.
To date over 12,000 Ukrainian refugees and Moldovans have been supported by CWS programs. This includes:
- Cash/vouchers/food/NFI
- Education support for refugee children.
- Access to services, legal aid and material assistance for impacted people from the Roma community.
- Medical and phycological consultations.
- Vocational training
- Romanian language courses.
To see a complete list of the CWS projects in Moldova, with more details, please reference our One-Year Ukraine Response Report.
2023 Needs
As we pass the one-year mark of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and our collective work in Moldova, much remains uncertain. Fighting is likely to continue for at least the medium term with long-term potential. Tens of thousands of refugees will remain in Moldova for the next year. While there is no consensus on how the war will unfold, there is the potential for additional large numbers of refugees seeking refuge in Moldova, especially if Odesa comes under sustained attack.
Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe, couldn’t provide adequate social assistance to its population prior to the Ukraine invasion. In addition to hosting refugees comprising 2% to 4% of its population, it has experienced historic levels of inflation and unprecedented increases in energy and heating costs. Moldova will require significant assistance to address this continuing crisis in the coming year. Assistance must be delivered mindful of increasing tensions between refugees and host communities. CWS will continue to design projects in a manner that increases social cohesion, including assistance to the most vulnerable Moldovan families.
Budget
CWS is seeking $1,540,000 to continue its core programming and partnerships, while also launching new initiatives to respond to the growing needs in Moldova.
New projects:
- Responding to the energy crisis and continue to increase the environmental sustainability of our support to Ukrainian refugees and the local Moldovan community by partnering with Ormax to install a 30-kWh photovoltaic solar panel system at the Refugee Accommodation Center in Drochia. The solar panel system will also provide electricity for the orphanage and kindergarten that serve Moldovan children located in a facility connected to the RAC.
- Providing a safe and inviting space for Ukrainian refugee and Moldovan youth between 6 and 16 years old in partnership with the Diamond Day Center in Telenesti, which provides age-specific homework assistance; psychosocial activities such as arts, crafts, and games; and meals provided by a team of attentive staff and volunteers. CWS will help the center improve the space by installing kitchen equipment and a dual air conditioner/heater and pay for additional staff to direct the children’s activities, provide administrative support and assist with meal preparation.
- Providing at least 150 Roma refugees with food, hygiene supplies, home appliances, and medicine in partnership with the Roma National Center. RNC will also offer legal consultations to 500 Roma refugees to help them navigate the legal system. and hold workshops and training sessions for Roma refugees who are interested in becoming resources within their communities.
- Expanding a rehabilitation center for victims of torture, and gender-based violence to provide psychological and medical support and rehabilitation services to Ukrainian refugees in partnership with Moldovan organization Memoria.
Ongoing support to existing programs:
- Providing refugee women and children with education and psychosocial support at the Anastasis Educational Center, operated in partnership with Diaconia.
- Providing families with winter clothing, blankets, and vouchers for hygiene and food items to ease the financial burden on families during winter with increased utility and heating costs.
- Investing in renewable energy infrastructure at Ormax, upgrading community facilities benefitting Ukrainian refugees with renewable energy technologies to address the immediate needs while addressing the long-term needs of local communities.
- Providing Roma refugees with material assistance, legal counsel and support in accessing services through Romni’s Roma Inclusion program .
- Supporting refugees in the Balti region with food and NFI material assistance, MHPSS and medical support and livelihoods training through the Balti Assistance Program.
How to Help
Click here to donate to the Ukraine Crisis Response Fund. Donations can also be made by mailing a check to Church World Service, PO Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515. Please designate “Appeal code 6642: Ukraine Crisis Response Fund.”
Download the PDF version of this appeal here.
View the 2022 Appeal:
