Ukrainian refugee Anna with her children Corina and Daniel in Suceava.Corina prays every night to see her dad who is in Ukraine, where she says he is taking care of the home and her toys while they are in Romania. © UNHCR/Zikrea Saleah
Anna, a mother of two, is now finding her feet in Suceava, having fled her home in Ukraine when the war broke out. Together with her three-year-old daughter Corina and her five-year-old son Daniel they have found safety in Suceava in northern Romania. Anna’s husband, like most other adult Ukrainian men, stayed behind. Anna believes that she will be reunited soon with the man she calls the love of her life but in the meantime, she feels safe in Romania. “I tell my kids that we are only here for the summer vacations, but they miss their father. Everything was hard for us; I can’t imagine what I would have done without the support of my Romanian hosting family. We used to cry the whole night praying for the safety of my husband and my mother who is in Ukraine.” Anna explained. “I have to wear a brave face to keep Corina and Daniel comforted, they faced what a child of their age should never go through” she continues.
Daughter of Anna, Corina, draws while her mother attends a training on anti-trafficking in Suceava. © UNHCR/Zikrea Saleah
UNHCR, together with partners helped Anna with counselling and social support. “Crossing the Siret border with a group of women from different parts of Ukraine, many with children, was overwhelmingly for everyone. Every woman was sad to leave something behind, some left their husbands, like me, their pets, their homes, uncooked food” Anna sighs. “We pray and hope that the war will end, and we will reunite with our families and loved ones”. In a short period of time, Anna’s life, and that of her family have been upended. “For everyone, it is hard to leave their streets, their homes, and their country behind, as you enter another country where you don’t know anyone. One day you are driving your kids to school or window shopping. The next you are with strangers in a transit centre or shelter. Every checkpoint, every stop on-road, makes you fear your children’s safety. From a national citizen to a refugee overnight, this is what war does to innocent civilians”. Anna reflects.
Anna, with other new arrivals via Siret Border into Romania. © UNHCR/Zikrea Saleah
Young Ukrainian refugee, Daniel, plays with a toy in a community centre in Suceava. © UNHCR/Zikrea Saleah
Ukrainian refugee Anna with her children Corina and Daniel in Suceava.Corina prays every night to see her dad who is in Ukraine, where she says he is taking care of the home and her toys while they are in Romania. © UNHCR/Zikrea Saleah
Little by little, Anna is taking part in social activities, training, and awareness-raising sessions on GBV (Gender-Based Violence), protection and anti-trafficking. The sessions, organized for refugees that recently arrived from Ukraine, are organised by UNHCR together with the authorities, the partner organization, National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (ANTIP), and other Romanian organizations. Anna, help spread awareness to other community members about the trainings at the Bucovina Institute for Social Partnership, in Suceava, Romania.
„UNHCR is grateful to the people and Government of Romania, for keeping their borders and hearts open for people like Anna. I am also humbled by the extraordinary compassion shown by local responders and global supporters as they help those fleeing the conflict”, said Pablo Zapata, the UNHCR Representative a.i. in Romania.
“On this world refugee day, we express our solidarity with refugees around the world and admire the drive, determination, and contributions made by people forced to flee. We witness the countless examples of the resilience of refugees, which – especially on this World refugee day – should be a source of inspiration for everyone, everywhere” he added, “The support and solidarity demonstrated by the people of Romania, across Europe and globally has been incredibly reassuring. We should all ensure that this support and solidarity is extended to all those in need of international protection, irrespective of their country of origin” he said.
Since the onset of the emergency, UNHCR scaled up its teams and humanitarian response to bolster the efforts of the Romanian authorities in receiving refugees from Ukraine and providing critical humanitarian and protection assistance. Anna is planning to expand her social work and support the single mothers living in her community. She says, “The war has torn us apart from our families and loved ones, but we also witnessed acts of great courage, generosity and compassion”. In spite of all the challenges, Anna is optimistic to reunite with her family.
Early support from the government and donors to the Ukraine emergency response has been critical to UNHCR’s capacity and humanitarian response activities. Donors including the United States of America, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Canada, Italy, Denmark, and Australia are contributing to UNHCR’s work to help ensure refugees are protected and supported.
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