A Community Center intended for refugees and vulnerable persons from the Republic of Moldova will be opened in Ocnița with the assistance of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The center will facilitate access to social services and will promote intercultural exchanges in the northern region of Moldova, IPN reports.

The North Community Center is the second community center opened by the NRC in Moldova. In January 2023, with the support of the Norwegian Refugee Council, there was opened the Chisinau Community Center. The North Community Center is situated at 62 Independentei St in Ocnita town. It will work from Monday through Friday, between 9am and 5pm.

Through the North Community Center, the refugees and host communities will be able to receive free services, to access information, to receive legal advice, to take part in social cohesion projects, to receive first aid kits and to apply for support in winter.

“The displacement caused by the war in Ukraine affects not only the refugees, but also the communities that host them. The most fragile economies of the region, including Moldova, were affected. It is now harder for the people to satisfy their basic needs and to access high-quality services,” said NRC Country Director for Moldova and Romania Jacopo Caridi.

In February 2023, based on a regional survey that covered 1,471 refugees living in Poland, Moldova and Romania, the NRC ascertained that seven in ten (68%) refugees are unable to cover the costs for such essentials as food, water, clothing, accommodation, and medical assistance. 

In 2022, over 83,000 persons in need from Moldova and Romania received assistance thanks to the Norwegian Refugee Council.