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The UN supports the initiative to accelerate the transfer of people fleeing from Ukraine to Romania through the Republic of Moldova, according to a release from the UN Refugee Agency sent to AGERPRES on Thursday.
The Governments of the Republic of Moldova and Romania, supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), have implemented the transfer of refugees from Ukraine, including third-country nationals, from southern Moldova to Romania, a journey of about 230 kilometers. The first convoy left the Palanca border checkpoint on Thursday morning, transporting 250 refugees to Husi, Romania.
As of Thursday, more than 300,000 people had fled Ukraine to Moldova, and 83,000 refugees remained in the country, and many more are likely to arrive if the situation in southwestern Ukraine deteriorates, the UN Refugee Agency points out.
According to the quoted source, the Romanian Government is taking a step forward generously, in solidarity with the Republic of Moldova, in order to support it in managing the reception of these refugees, who are fleeing in large numbers from Ukraine.
We are grateful to the Governments of the Republic of Moldova and Romania, as well as to all the countries neighboring Ukraine for their prompt response and generosity, said Lars Johan Lonnback, Head of the IOM Mission to Moldova, Agerpres.ro informs.
He added that the number one priority is to provide those fleeing the war with protection, shelter, basic necessities and support services, including psychosocial assistance.
Safe transport will prevent the formation of large groups waiting at border checkpoints, which would put additional pressure on existing infrastructure and help protect women and girls from the risks of human trafficking and other violence based on gender, added Lars Johan Lonnback.
UNHCR and IOM in Romania provide eight buses to transfer refugees between the border checkpoints Palanca in Moldova and Albita in Romania, where the Border Police of the Republic of Moldova and Romania will carry out the crossing formalities.
The last stop will be in the Romanian town of Husi, where the Romanian Department of Emergency Situations has organized a transit unit. From there, the refugees will be transferred to other localities in Romania, depending on their needs.
This is a commendable initiative and an excellent show of solidarity with the people and the Government of the Republic of Moldova, and it also reflects the excellent cooperation with the Romanian authorities to meet the pressing challenges, said Roland Schilling, UNHCR Central Europe Representative.
The ILO and UNHCR are also in talks with the Moldovan authorities on the opening of new crossings between Ukraine and this state and are purchasing mobile document readers to ensure that persons are registered upon arrival in the Republic of Moldova before going further, and to ensure that their needs are met.
