We serve the Ukrainian Refugees in Moldova.

Millions of Ukrainians fled their homes due to fighting and nearly half a million refugees sought refuge in Moldova - a small country with a population of about 3 million, bordered by Ukraine on the east and Romania on the west. The country was previously occupied by the Soviet regime and has dealt with a breakaway enclave backed by Russian forces since the 1990s. The border area of Palanka in southern Moldova has become a crossing point for thousands of Ukrainian refugees, who have left behind their entire lives and hope for a future without war.

Many local NGOs have also responded to the crisis by understanding the needs of their communities and providing support. We at Ukraine Moldova Aid partnered with local NGOs and volunteers in Moldova to provide immediate support to refugees. We paid for gas to pick up refugees from the border, paid utilities for families who hosted the refugees in their homes, distributed groceries, hygiene supplies, and paid for medications, and provided necessary first aid. We also buy all supplies in Moldova to help stimulate the local economy. ​

Within a few weeks of Russia's invasion, most of the refugees had moved on, but more than 90,000 remained and required urgent support including food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities. Moldova is facing an unprecedented refugee crisis, with refugees staying in government centers, makeshift centers registered with the government, and in Moldovan homes. The Moldovan government has responded heroically with its limited resources and without past experience dealing with a humanitarian crisis of this size. The Moldovan people have opened their homes to host refugee families and donated supplies to help those who had to leave their homes on a moment's notice.

Our goal this year is to provide additional support to refugees by offering psychological support and counseling, sponsoring children's activities such as dance and yoga classes, and buying laptops to set up an activity space for online school. Most Ukrainian children in Moldova want to attend online school with their teachers in Ukraine, and we want to buy them laptops to be able to do so. The children, in particular, have experienced trauma and require a supportive and nurturing environment. Only around 2,000 out of the 20,000 refugee children of school age are attending Moldovan schools due to complicated reasons. Some parents do not want to send their kids to Romanian-speaking schools (though Moldova also has Russian-speaking schools), while others hope to return to Ukraine soon.