It’s been a while since I’ve written anything here, but I wanted to share a few things. First, and foremost, I want to provide some information about the situation in Moldova. Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Moldova has suddenly become a place that everyone has heard of. This is because Moldova is one of Ukraine’s immediate neighbors.
Since the beginning of the conflict, over 400,000 refugees have passed through Moldova’s border. Many of those have continued on to other countries, but close to 100,000 have chosen to remain in Moldova. While 100,000 doesn’t sound like much compared to the amount other countries have taken in, such as Poland, it’s a huge number when compared to Moldova’s total population. In fact, Moldova has taken in more refugees per capita than any other country. As most have probably read recently, Moldova is not a country that has sufficient financial resources to support such an influx of refugees. When Russia first invaded Ukraine, the Moldovan government announced that it was prepared to accept 10,000 refugees. Within a few days, that number had already been surpassed.
So how has Moldova been supporting the 400,000 refugees that have crossed its borders? Mostly through the generosity and kindness of its citizens. Of the approximately 100,000 refugees that have stayed in Moldova, a large majority of them have been taken in by Moldovan families. Most of the support and aid that is currently being given to the refugees is coming from non-profit organizations, Moldovan volunteers, and NGOs, which are relying on financial support from people around the world.
If you’d like to help support these efforts, I highly recommend donating to Friends of Moldova. This is an organization run by returned Peace Corps Volunteers that is supporting Ukrainian refugees in Moldova in a number of ways. First, they have opened 2 centers to support refugees (the one in Chisinau, the capital, has since closed, but they are still supporting refugee efforts throughout the city). They have also been supporting various organizations throughout the country through donations, and working alongside Peace Corps Moldova staff to provide support to the refugees. They are doing incredible work, and you can donate easily online. The following is the most recent update from their website:
- The situation as of 4/15/22:
- • Roughly 419,499 Ukrainian refugees have entered Moldova.
- • 6.1% Children in Moldova is a now a refugee.
- • 97,863 Ukrainian refugees have stayed, half of which are children.
- Donation Details 4/15/22:
- • We have distributed funds to 195 organizations which includes: city shelters, churches, non-profits, shelters with mothers and infants, hospice organization, and individuals who are picking up supplies for large families without transportation. The funds are being spent on beds and accessories, food and water, hot meals, infant foods and accessories ,hygiene products, clothes, and toys for children.
If you’d like to stay informed about the situation in Moldova, I suggest subscribing to Moldova Matters, a regular newsletter written by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, David Smith, who is located in Moldova.
The Oke Den 