In February 2022, ACTED implemented an emergency team in Moldova to support people affected by the conflict in Ukraine and entering Moldova. Today, the team has grown and still works with refugees in the country. Find out how.
Moldova and Ukraine share a border almost 1,000 km long. Since the conflict in Ukraine escalated, more than 645,000 people have crossed the border from Ukraine into Moldova (figures as of December 12, 2022). About 64% are women, and 28% are children. To date, 98,000 people are registered as refugees in Moldova, and 1,500 people still arrive in the country every day.
Imagine what it is like for a country like Moldova to organise the transport, transit and reception of 20% of its population! It is as if 13 million people arrived at French border. In Moldova, we support the authorities by running 80 reception centres and organising the transport of refugees to the reception centres and the border crossing points with Romania.
What we do
Our teams mobilised quickly to carry out needs assessments along the border and in reception centres, in close coordination with the Moldovan authorities. ACTED’s first actions concerned the deployment of buses in Palanca and Tudora, in addition to buses provided by the Moldovan and Romanian authorities, in order to transport refugees from crossing points to reception centres or to Romania, in agreement with the authorities of both countries.
Today, ACTED has diversified its fields of action in the country and implements or participates, with its partners, in the following operations:
- Support to municipalities for the management of reception centres
- Reception and distribution of donations of basic necessities
- Distribution of hot meals
- Installation of sanitation facilities
- Distribution of SIM cards to facilitate access to information for refugees
Our assistance to refugees in Palanca and Tudora
Palanca is the first crossing point for refugees between Ukraine and Moldova. ACTED has been present there to support the refugees since 4 March, through various operations.
Distribution of hot meals in southern Moldova
ACTED staff members distributed hot meals financed by WFP to a Refugee Accomodation Center in Basarabeasca, South Moldova.
“When we began to hear the sound of bombs, we made the decision to leave Odesa.
Most of refugees living temporarily in this Accomodation Center are women and children. Veronika came with her two children aged 9 and 5 and left her son and mother-in-law in Odesa.
Warehouse management in Chisinau
In the country’s capital, Chisinau, ACTED is involved in the management of a large warehouse which also serves as a reception centre for refugees arriving from Ukraine, alongside the association Moldova for Peace. On a daily basis, ACTED’s teams provide material and technical support to Moldova for Peace and participate in a more efficient management of the warehouse. For example, food kits are prepared for direct collection by refugee families in Chisinau.
The warehouse will also host basic necessities sent through operation Convoys For Ukraine which allowed to send more than 1,000 tons of basic necessities to internally displaced people as well as refugees in Poland, Romania and Moldova.
Follow ACTED on social networks to know more about our actions in Moldova as well as in Ukraine, Poland and Romania.