The Cahul District Council received a wheelchair accessible minibus donated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Moldova. The donation of the 4 seats + 2 wheelchairs accessible minibus worth €45,180 is part of a collaboration between IOM and the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Family Protection of the Cahul District Council, IPN reports.
IOM Moldova donated the minibus with the financial support of the United States State Department's Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).
The donation aims at supporting people with disabilities with the adapted transportation to access following social services provided by the Cahul public authorities. Among these is the “Personal Assistance” service to transport persons with disabilities to receive medical investigation and treatments, as well as for submission/receiving of different personal documentation.
The vehicle will be used to support the Cahul District’s Mobile Teams in assisting pensioners with disabilities at home and to transport children aged 0-18 years old with sensory (hearing, visual), physical, mental disabilities to the “Day center for children with disabilities”, in a range of 20km. It will also be used to provide transportation for children to school, kindergarten, extracurricular activities as part of the Complex of social services for children in difficulty “ÎMPREUNĂ”.
“Cahul is an area which receives a lot of refugees because of the language and cultural affinities. IOM is grateful to collaborate with Cahul with this agreement for a dual use of a van to transport persons with disabilities as well as for to provide transportation for refugees. I am also happy to see progresses on IOM livelihood programs on Ukrainian refugees in Cahul District,” said IOM Chief of Mission Lars Johan Lönnback.
The Head of the Cahul District Council Nicolae Dunas thanked IOM Moldova and the United States of America for this support, for this special equipment and vehicle, which will be used directly for those in need. “It is a direct support that embraces the society for the inclusion of Moldovans and Ukrainian refugees the various social activities of the District Council,” he said.
The donation is part of the continuous IOM collaboration with the Government of Moldova to organize a fast tracked, safe and dignified transport n case of an emergency situation.
