More than two million Ukrainian refugees fled for safety to Europe through Moldova, Poland and Romania. The ones with financial capacity managed to be transferred but around 110000 Ukrainians, mainly women and children are accommodated in Moldova.
They are from the poorest communities of Ukraine and don’t have any means to go further. They are in deeply need of humanitarian assistance, protection and support.
Most of them are living with host families and in reception centers. For the moment they are able to survive but resources are ending rapidly and the responsible reception centers owners and families hosting refugees are almost running from all resources to accommodate them so they need urgent support for food, hygiene, clothing bedding and medicine.
Most of the refugees’ families are with children under 10 years old and even overcrowded by babies.
Larisa is around 70 years old. She left her husband, sons and sons in law in Mikolaiy and run for safety to Komrad. They came to the border of Besarabeasca by a minibus and then Moldovan volunteers picked them up and brought to Gagausia Orphanage that transformed to a reception center in Kongaz. She took with her sisters in law daughters and grandson Maxim and granddaughter Maria just one years old without having any sense about what is going on and playing with the empty water bottle the only toy that she has. Maxim a nine-year-old boy is in fear of his father but confident that they l will defeat Russians and l will be able to go back to their home soon.
But the grandmother doesn’t have any hope because their home is bombed and ruined. So, they don’t have a home now. Asking what they will do now she says,
- Our men will liberate Mikolaiy and Odessa and I’m confident that there ll be a day to go back and settle our lives again.
She says; But does she believe?
The situation is not different at the reception center transformed from the Sanatorium of Moldova Trade Unions Federation
Around 100 women and their children settled in makeshift rooms sheltered temporarily. They totally depend on food hygiene and winterization assistance of donors. Some of the women came with their disabled children that needs more treatment and care As Olga from Dnipro with her down syndrome son Arsenia.
Evgenia is begging for a job. We cannot stay for longer without any income and depend to others assistance. She is crying…
- Thousands of people are on their way to Moldova. Most of them women and children We want this war to end and we go to our village in Dnipro again. We trust our husbands will win the war and save our motherland she says. We just need peace. Thanks to all people in the World supporting our existence and stop the aggressor Putin
She wants to take care of the children in the reception center to have an income. Her daughter looks her scared.
Anastasia is just one years old. Crying to sleep but how it’s possible in such crowded hall.
Her mother Dvinia took her from Odessa and they come most of the road to Palanka gate by walking Then a bus allocated by Moldovan authorities and took them to the reception center.
And in another corner innocent children are playing in a makeshift playground of the reception center. They are smiling laughing and enjoy the play.
Children are innocent and peaceful. Women are the silent victims of this war. They need to be supported protected and of course empowered with all means. Otherwise, they will be the lost generation for the new century where everything is eye witnessed through satellites cameras social media but no-one runs to stop this bloodshed and violations against humanity.
Who knows when we will be the new victims of this silence and ignorance of the human values and realities?