Locations
UNDP's response
Supporting refugees from Ukraine and host communities in Moldova
UNDP scales up support in Moldova as early projections suggest thousands could be pushed into poverty by a protracted war.
Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, the people of Moldova and the national and local authorities opened their hearts and their homes to those seeking refuge from the destruction and chaos left behind. UNDP quickly stepped up to support its national and local partners to respond to the refugees influx – improving living conditions and covering essential needs of refugees, promoting access to decent work, providing legal and psychosocial support, and supporting access to a safe and continuous learning environment.
UNDP is working in more than 75 host communities from both banks of Nistru river to ensure that more than 38,500 Ukraine’s refugees receive the support they need.
Key results:
- Over 22,500 refugees from both banks of Nistru river received items for covering basic needs, toys and gifts for children and benefitted from furniture, household appliances, and IT equipment distributed to refugee shelters.
- Over 2,000 people, including refugees from Ukraine, attended five job fairs organized in Chișinău, Bălți, Cahul, Ungheni, and Căușeni.
- 169 refugees from both banks of Nistru river attended professional training and digital literacy courses, which resulted in employment opportunities, discovering of new talents, and means of psychological relief.
- 5 local companies are supported to expand production, expecting more than 50 new jobs to be created, including for refugees.
- Approx. 1,000 refugees from both banks of Nistru received legal assistance.
- Over 2,000 refugees from both banks of Nistru received psychosocial support, including through recreational and education activities for children.
- More than 2,000 refugees from both banks of Nistru received medical care and were helped to cover medicine costs.
- 150 paralegals and social workers were trained in addressing refugees’ needs.
- Over 10,000 refugees from both banks received information about the services and assistance available to refugees in Moldova.
- 17 young refugees were able to study STEM disciplines using equipment provided to a digital lab on the left bank of the Nistru river.
- 12 communities organized summer camps that brought together refugee children and children from local and diaspora communities.
Approximately US$12.87 million have been allocated by UNDP and its partners – EU, Sweden, France, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Japan – to partially cover the immediate needs of refugees’ and host communities, as well as support socio-economic inclusion of people fleeing the war, by promoting employment opportunities, expanding their access to public services and ensuring social cohesion.
UNDP Economic, Social and Environmental Resilience Offer for Moldova
UNDP aims to enhance the economic, social and environmental resilience of the country, building its support around four pillars:
- Economic and social resilience
- Socio-economic inclusion and social cohesion
- Energy, food security and environmental resilience
- Governance, rule of law and anti-corruption
Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund
The consequences of the war in Ukraine on the Moldovan population are far-reaching, with particularly adverse effects on already vulnerable and poor segments of the population. Based on a recent simulation exercise, UNDP estimates that the number of people living in poverty due to the impact of the war, including high inflation, could more than triple to about 35% of the total population. UNDP estimated over 63% of families to become energy poor.
A new Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund, developed by UNDP and implemented by the Government of Moldova is positively mitigating this trend, supporting energy poor households through short-term compensations and longer-term energy efficiency. UNDP helps mobilize resources for the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund.
Interagency inclusion & livelihoods working group
UNDP is working closely with the UN entities and other humanitarian stakeholders to meet the specific needs caused by the impact of the war in Ukraine on Moldova. Our work is aligned with the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP), which outlines the comprehensive response and activities needed to support countries’ efforts to protect and assist refugees coming from Ukraine. In addition, UNDP and the State Chancellery lead the interagency Livelihoods and inclusion working group, which coordinates and guides partners working in this area and allows for a coherent response. By focusing efforts on economic, social, and environmental resilience, UNDP and its partners will be able to both support the Government of Moldova’s current humanitarian needs while at the same time help deliver on the country’s medium to long-term sustainable-development priorities in the spirit of the humanitarian-development-peace Nexus.
