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Chisinau, Moldova, 25 November 2022: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency hosted a roundtable discussion yesterday on refugee inclusion and economic growth.  “Moldova has set an example for the world in fulfilling the vision of the Global Compact on Refugees,” said Gillian Triggs, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.  “The roundtable explored how to ensure refugee inclusion and economic growth along with both humanitarian and development actors.” 

The roundtable comprises a discussion on two aspects of stabilizing development support to refugees and host communities alike. The first session focused on operationalizing a temporary protection regime for refugees from Ukraine.  Minister of Labour and Social Protection Marcel Spatari explained: “Under the provisions of the Commission for Emergency Situations, some temporary facilities and rights have been granted to refugees from Ukraine in our country. In a context where the conflict is growing in Ukraine, we must be prepared with the necessary instruments to safely manage the flow of refugees and provide them with adequate forms of social protection, including in the long term, in order to facilitate social inclusion.”   

This emphasis on inclusion was echoed by many participants.  Jana Costachi, State Secretary in the Ministry of Internal Affairs highlighted the need for  “a holistic approach because it is not only about people and the help given to them, but also about securing a person in need.”  She also drew attention to pressures on institutional resources and attention at a time when the Government is facing multiple challenges at once. 

The second session discussed how different actors around the table could collaborate to promote inclusive economic growth. “A focus on a comprehensive transition towards resilience-based, long-term development solutions is needed, with more investment creating opportunities for sustainable development ensuring no one is left behind,” noted United Nations Resident Coordinator Simon Springett. “UN Moldova support to the Government will continue to focus on strengthening and supporting national systems to build resilience against future shocks and crisis, and to enhance social protection schemes benefiting both vulnerable refugees and Moldovans, families and children while promoting social cohesion.”  

Participants represented different sectors of society: all levels of government, local authorities, civil society, refugees, state partners, development actors, financial institutions, and international organizations. Sajjad Malik, Director of UNHCR’s Division of Resilience and Solutions, underscored that “a whole-of-society approach is essential to allow refugees to contribute to their host communities.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Ganna Sokur, a refugee from Ukraine who represented the NGO initiative Moldova for Peace, presented her own example of arriving at a master’s degree and a desire to actively contribute to her community.  She added: “There are many favourable bases for refugee inclusion here, such as similarity of mentality, culture, and language.  Targeted help, for those refugees that need particular support, is important to maximize these prospects.”   

The Republic of Moldova has received nearly 698,000 arrivals from Ukraine and currently hosts over 96,600 refugees from Ukraine. A substantial number of those who remain in Moldova are women, children, and elderly refugees.

UNHCR hosts roundtable discussion on refugee inclusion and economic growth

UNHCR hosts roundtable discussion on refugee inclusion and economic growth

UNHCR hosts roundtable discussion on refugee inclusion and economic growth

“Break the silence. We stand by you.” is a campaign launched today by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the empowerment of Women (UN Women), International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) jointly with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova on behalf of the coordination mechanism on gender-based violence in humanitarian settings, the Intersectoral Gender-based Violence (GBV) Sub-Working Group.  

The campaign aims to spread a clear message of zero tolerance of all forms of GBV and to raise the awareness of the refugee and host communities on the existing prevention and response services to gender-based violence in the Republic of Moldova. 

The campaign kicks off during the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence against women and girls campaign, which calls for global action to increase awareness, galvanize advocacy efforts and share knowledge and innovations to end the global pandemic of violence against women and girls. The activities fall under the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE initiative to end gender-based violence by 2030.

The “Break the silence. We stand by you” joint campaign will run from November 2022 until March 2023 and will promote social cohesion, urging people from all walks of life to acknowledge, take a stand and act against gender-based violence.  

Through a series of community outreach events, media partnerships, and social media engagement, the partners will build on the ongoing dialogue about the issue, invite the service providers and the communities to create a supportive environment and raise awareness about the existing services, and foster accountability so that every humanitarian effort provides safe and comprehensive survivor-centered services to those affected or at risk of violence. 

In Moldova, 63 percent of women experienced psychological, physical, or sexual violence from their partners during their lifetime. Two in five women (40%) say that they have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of a partner or non-partner since the age of 15. Since the age of 15, nearly half of women (49%) indicate that they have been sexually harassed. More than one in five women (22%) report that they experienced a form of physical violence at the hands of an adult before they were 15 years old.

More than 65 percent of the Ukrainian refugees in the Republic of Moldova are females.  Women and girls caught up in the conflict, on the move, and at border crossing points face increased risks of gender-based violence, exploitation, and abuse. Young women traveling alone are at increased risk of trafficking for sexual exploitation at border points where document control and registration processes are patchy.

The Intersectoral GBV Sub-working Group brings together more than 63 national and international organizations, women-led organizations, and government entities.  The members of the group partner to strengthen gender-based violence prevention, risk mitigation, and response, and ensure that refugee women and girls’ rights, including their right to live free from violence, remain at the center of Moldova’s humanitarian response.  

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, handed over two vehicles and a set of office equipment to the People’s Advocate Office of the Republic of Moldova. The delivered equipment is part of UNHCR support to the Government of Moldova and its specialised agencies that work on issues of refugee protection and human rights.

“UNHCR is pleased to take this concrete step forward in our partnership with the Office of the Ombudsman,” said Francesca Bonelli, UNHCR’s Country Representative. “This equipment will help them carry on with their great work ensuring the protection of refugees and people in need.”

Last August, UNHCR signed an agreement with the Office of the Ombudsman to strengthen their collaboration in support of the existing engagement with refugees, human rights, training, and building the capacities of the relevant authorities.

Currently, the Ombudsman Office co-chairs the Protection Working Group of the Refugee Coordination Forum (RCF). The RCF is a joint coordination body headed by the Government of Moldova and UNHCR that brings together humanitarian actors in the country – including UN agencies, and civil society, with the national government counterparts, local authorities, the private sector, refugee-led organisations, and others – to cooperate in maintaining and improving the response for refugees from Ukraine and host communities.

“The high performance of the technical assistance provided by UNHCR will definitely help us to carry out our activities on monitoring the observance of refugee’s rights in a prompt and efficient way at the central and local level”, said Ceslav Panico, Ombudsman of the Republic of Moldova.

Since March 2022, the Republic of Moldova has received nearly 660,527 arrivals from Ukraine and currently hosts over 94,000 Ukrainian refugees. The Government, civil society, and people of Moldova exhibited a remarkable response to the refugees’ situation.  A substantial number of those who remain in Moldova are women, children, and elderly refugees, who often require particular support in accessing their rights in practice.

Chisinau, Moldova, 20 September 2022: – Italy, and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today handed over various equipment to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova (MIA) to support the government’s response to the refugee emergency from Ukraine.

Since the start of the refugee crisis in Ukraine due to the ongoing armed conflict, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has mobilized its workforce, to ensure the efficient, safe and humane management of the massive refugee inflows. It has adjusted its legislative framework to ensure border crossing points operate non-stop with maximum use of its infrastructure. Furthermore, the government with the support of UNHCR and the international community is taking firm steps toward enacting temporary protection measures for refugees. An act that will ensure a legal and safe stay of displaced people seeking safety in the country.

Ensuring safe and dignified crossing of refugees to our territory is a commitment that we honour” said Ana Revenco, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova. “The support of our international friends such as Italy and UNHCR add to our effort to improve our capacity and preparedness to respond when needed”.

The donated equipment which includes vehicles, power generators, computers, and office equipment will be used by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to strengthen their mobility and increase their monitoring capacity. With a contribution of over USD10M, Italy supports the refugee response in Moldova in addition to boosting the government’s social protection capacity for the benefit of displaced people and local communities as well.

“Since the beginning of the ongoing war, Italy has been supporting Moldova, both financially and in kind, in its efficient management of the Refugees flow from Ukraine”. Said Lorenzo Tomassoni, The Ambassador of Italy in Moldova. “I commend the people of Moldova for their hospitality and Moldovan Institutions, starting with Border Police, for their sense of duty. We are very satisfied with our cooperation with the UNHCR, which is making the best out of our 10 million euros funding. It’s not only the vehicles donated today to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, nor the monthly cash assistance provided to over 80.000 Refugees. I am also referring to the crucial expertise that is helping Moldova to rapidly shape its legislation on Temporary Protection in compliance with EU standards, thus contributing to the strategic goal of EU accession.”

UNHCR is bolstering its capacity in Moldova, extending international support to the refugees, and providing much-needed humanitarian supplies through the government of the Republic of Moldova.

“Italy is amongst UNHCR’s top donors in Moldova,”, said Francesca Bonelli, the UNHCR Representative in the Republic of Moldova. “We are thankful for the generous support provided to the government and people of Moldova who exhibited remarkable hospitality for refugees since the start of the crisis.”

As of 15 September, over 608,694 refugees from Ukraine entered Moldova. The majority have moved on to other European countries, with some 90,655 still generously hosted in the country.

World Refugee Day was marked on Tuesday in Chisinau with an art exhibition and a concert given by several artists from Moldova and Ukraine. Among the performers were Pasha Parfeni and Adrian Ursu from Moldova and  saxophonist Igor Znatokov and singer Olga Gornyh from Ukraine. Olesya Shevchenko, the wife of His Excellency the Ambassador of Ukraine to Moldova, gave an enthralling performance in Romanian,  sending a message of gratitude to the Moldovans for hosting  Ukrainians in their time of need.

The event was organised by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) at the National Museum of History and brought together Ministers, Ambassadors, heads of UN and international agencies  as well as Ukrainians fleeing the war who have found safety in Moldova. Among them was Anastasia Ciorninkaia, who spoke about the suffering her compatriots have gone through and thanked Moldovans for their hospitality: “We were living in our homes, we were safe, drinking tea, making plans for the future, but one day at 5 am we heard an explosion, a terrible sound that changed our lives forever”, Anastasia said, adding, “Thousands of us left our homes and crossed the border into Moldova. You met us at border, fed us, sheltered us. I promise from this stage that I will pass on to the next generations how you helped us!”.

Francesca Bonelli, UNHCR representative in Moldova, also expressed her gratitude to the people and government of the Republic of Moldova, donors, humanitarian partners and all others who helped respond to the refugee crisis. “In my few months in the Republic of Moldova, I have witnessed the great hospitality Moldovans have accorded to refugees. And I discovered that this is rooted in the CASA MARE tradition which reserves the best room in the house for guests,” Ms. Bonelli appealed for increased international support for refugees and the local population.

The event was also attended by Marcel Spatari Minister of Labour and Social Protection and Jana Costachi, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The two senior officials commended the efforts of all those involved in responding to the refugee crisis. “The greatest credit goes not to the Ministry, not to the Government, but to the community and volunteers. Today, more than 95% of refugees are hosted by Moldovan families or have found housing on their own. We can have the best ministers, the best development partners, the best action plans, but we won’t achieve anything if we don’t have the most important thing of all – Peace!” Mr. Spatari said.

The head of the Joint Refugee Crisis Management Cell, Colonel Adrian Efros, said that since February more than half a million Ukrainian refugees have transited through Moldova and more than 80 thousand were still in the country, half of them children.

According to Colonel Efros, more than 100 Ukrainian babies were born in the Republic of Moldova since February and more than 6,000 children have been enrolled in schools.

World Refugee Day was first celebrated on 20 June 2001 and was created by the United Nations to honour refugees around the world. Each year, the event celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to leave their homeland to stay alive because of conflicts or persecution. While it is important to protect and improve the lives of refugees every day, World Refugee Day helps focus global attention on the plight of these people and creates opportunities to support them. Currently, more than 85 thousand refugees are in the Republic of Moldova, including more than 80,000 Ukrainians and more than 3,700 people from other nationalities.

For further information, please contact:

Kisut Gebreegziabher

Communicatios Officer & Spokesperson

UNHCR Moldova
Mobile: +37367722468

WhatsApp: +254712856340

Chisinau, Republic of Moldova: -The UN Refugee Agency’s Goodwill Ambassador and Japanese artist MIYAVI concluded his three-day visit to the Republic of Moldova with a call for increased international support to Ukrainian refugees and Moldovan families who have welcomed them with open arms.

The renowned musician, actor and philanthropist visited three centres accommodating refugees and listened to their stories. He toured facilities providing key services to refugees, including UNHCR’s cash enrolment centre   where refugees have been issued with pre-paid cards of $US120 per person per month.

“I’m saddened, impressed and mesmerized by the stories of challenge, resilience and hope that the refugees have shared with me”, MIYAVI said, adding “My mission as the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador is to share these stories with the rest of the world and appeal for increased support for Moldova, a small country with a big heart, so that it can continue to support the refugees.”

Mr.Sergiu Odainic, General State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, briefed him about the support that Moldova has been extending to refugees and the gaps that need to be filled.  MIYAVI said that he was captivated by the overwhelming solidarity Moldovans have shown to refugees which he described as “a great example.” He reiterated his resolve to advocate on behalf of Moldova and the refugees under its care.

The star guitarist later met with UNHCR’s national and international partners, including a local NGO – Moldova for Peace which mobilized thousands of volunteers and mounted a spontaneous response at the onset of the refugee crisis. With UNHCR’s support, the NGO is setting up a community center providing safe space and services to vulnerable refugee women.

The highlight of his visit was a music session with children from Moldova as well as from Ukraine, Syria, Turkey and Iran who played violin, guitar and piano, sang and danced with him, brining much needed smiles to their faces.

Francesca Bonelli, the UNHCR Representative in the Republic of Moldova, thanked MIYAVI for visiting Moldova to see the situation for himself and to advocate on behalf of refugees and Moldovans. “I am incredibly impressed by MIYAVI’s capacity to using the power of music to advocate for refugees and help mobilize more support for Moldova”.

By allowing over 500,000 refugees to enter the country, Moldova has received one of the highest number of refugees per 10,000 inhabitants in the region. More than 86,000 of them are still in the country, mostly accommodated by Moldovan families.

UNHCR, the government of Moldova and 40 organizations have recently launched an inter-agency response plan appealing for USD $414.2 million to help refugees and vulnerable Moldovan host families until the end of the year. To date, only 27% of the financial requirements have been met.

For further information, please contact:

Kisut Gebreegziabher

Communicatios Officer & Spokesperson

UNHCR Moldova
Mobile: +37367722468

WhatsApp: +254712856340