Romania supporting Ukraine - News of the Day

The 28th day of war in Ukraine. Romania continues its actions to support Ukrainian refugees and Kyiv authorities.

Here is a selection of the main news of Wednesday, March 23:

* President Klaus Iohannis will take part on Thursday in the extraordinary sitting of heads of state and government from NATO member states, organized at the Alliance's Headquarters in Brussels, the Presidential Administration informed on Wednesday. The summit is called in the context of the "illegal" military aggression made by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the significant increase of risks and threats towards regional, European and transatlantic security, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES. According to the source, president Klaus Iohannis will highlight that the response of the Euro-Atlantic community towards Russia's military aggression against Ukraine needs to be "firm", "coordinated", "unified" and "substantial".

* The Government approved, on Wednesday, by emergency ordinance, the possibility for Romanians who have hosted or are hosting refugees from Ukraine to benefit on request for refunding expenses, respectively 20 lei / day for food and 50 lei / day for accommodation for each person accommodated.
"I would also like to point out to you the adoption of the emergency ordinance that allows natural persons hosting foreign citizens or stateless persons in special situations from the area of armed conflict in Ukraine to benefit for refund from the budgets of the County Inspectorates for Emergency Situations of food and accommodation expenses in the amount of 20 lei / day for food for each person accommodated and another 50 lei / day accommodation. By this ordinance, the Government enables Romanians who made this gesture to be able to continue or, at least, to diminish the effort they have made so far, both in terms of ensuring food and accommodation," Government's spokesman Dan Carbunaru declared at Victoria Palace.

* The occupation rate for accommodation in the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) centers is currently at 86.3%, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) announced on Wednesday. According to a press release sent to AGERPRES, since the start of the Ukrainian conflict, 4,268 Ukrainian citizens have requested asylum in Romania. Of these, 17 have applied in the last 24 hours. These citizens benefit from all rights provided by the national legislation, MAI reminds.

* On Wednesday, the Minister of Sports, Eduard Novak, visited the 51 athletes, technicians, physical trainers and doctors from the Olympic kayak canoe team of Ukraine who were accommodated at the Nicolae Navasart Sports Complex in Snagov. Minister Eduard Novak told AGERPRES that Romania can provide 700 accommodation places to Ukrainian athletes affected by the armed conflict, and we are waiting for new requests in this regard.
"As soon as this war started we identified this solution to help Ukrainian athletes in our sports bases. Because this status of sports refugee is somehow different from a refugee who is not a performance athlete and we can give them the opportunity to train in our bases. We are now in the Navasart sports base, but we have 700 accentuation places that we can offer in all our bases, we can receive 700 Ukrainian athletes. We are waiting for other requests. They are coming from Turkey, where they were training, and I believe they will be here for quite a while, for I think this crisis will last and they don't have anywhere else to go right now. And I believe it's our duty, and this is what also learn from sports, the fair play, to respect each other. Even if we are competing against each other in the international competitions, right now we need to be partners and we must help them in their tough times," stated Novak.

* Romanians who want to support the civilian population affected by the war in Ukraine can donate online using Ghiseul.ro, without having to log in to the platform, the Romanian Digital Transformation Authority (ADR) reported on Wednesday.
"Starting today, Wednesday, March 23, Romanian citizens who want to support the civilian population affected by the war in Ukraine can do so by donating online, using Ghiseul.ro, without having to log in to the platform. With just a few clicks, those who want to help the refugees fleeing the armed conflict in Ukraine to Romania can contribute online to mitigating the effects of the war on the civilian population. There is a button 'Donatii pentru cetatenii Ucrainei' (Donations for the citizens of Ukraine) available on the main page of the platform www.ghiseul.ro, in the section 'Plata fara autentificare' (Payment without registration)."
ADR head Octavian Oprea says that the amounts donated via the Ghiseul.ro platform will be collected by the General Emergency Management Inspectorate and used for providing humanitarian support and assistance to people seeking refuge from the armed conflict in Ukraine.

* Six Ukrainian citizens crossed the Tisza River to reach Romania, being discovered by the border police, Maramures County Emergencies Committee spokesman Dan Buca informed on Wednesday.
"On March 22 this year, the Maramures Border Police found six Ukrainian citizens, aged between 18 and 59, who crossed from Ukraine to Romania, through the Tisza River, on March 22 this year. All Ukrainian citizens have requested a form of protection from the Romanian state, which is why specific procedures have been initiated in such cases," said Dan Buca.

* Mircea Luminea is a young pharmacist from Sibiu who each day, after work, coordinates volunteers at the Zacaria Center, a sort of free "supermarket" for refugees. Initially, Mircea ended up here as any other Sibiu native, from a desire to donate something for refugees. His brother told him about this place, where the people of Sibiu are donating for Ukrainians.
"I am a pharmacist by trade, somehow you have to help people there too and I had the opportunity to help, because it's something I like doing, helping people. My brother told me [e.n. - about Zacaria], if I want to go help. And that's how I ended up here," said for AGERPRES Mircea Luminea.
For two weeks, day by day, Mircea is witness to an unprecedented mobilization in a place that used to be a simple warehouse.

* Approximately 100 children of Ukrainian refugees temporarily settled in Arad have joined schools in the county and started classes on Wednesday morning, part of them receiving tablets from the County School Inspectorate (ISJ) because they expressed their desire to learn at their accommodation spot, connected to a government platform made available by their country. Of the students, 63 were distributed to schools in Arad City and 40 in the city of Ineu. The pupils are all gymnasium and high-school level.

* Romanian stand-up comedians Costel, Natanticu, Teo, Vio, Dan Badea, Alex Mocanu and Dan Tutu have raised 33,000 euros for war-affected Ukrainians at a benefit show called "A show for people" put up at Beraria H of Bucharest. The proceeds from selling the tickets were directed to the Romanian Red Cross and will be used for humanitarian purposes. The organisers of the event joined the initiative and donated half of the refreshment proceeds.