The immediate costs associated with the efficient management of the inflow of Ukrainian refugees rise to millions of lei, said Minister of Labor and Social Protection Marcel Spatari. According to the official, the Government must pay all the catering companies that provide food for the Ukrainian citizens, offer the refugees essential things and pay the bills of institutions that house refugees. The minister noted that the European Union offer consistent assistance in this regard, as do a number of international organizations that made common cause with Moldova, IPN reports.
According to official data made public by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 123,000 citizens of Ukraine entered Moldova since the war started. A part of them only crossed Moldova on their way to EU countries. However, over 55,000 Ukrainians, 21,000 of whom are children, remained in Moldova.
“We need matrasses, blankets, pillows, hygiene products and food for the refugees. So far, the refugees were offered catering services and these imply costs. The USM building that wasn’t functional had to be connected to heating and you know the current prices. These costs of business entities or public institutions will be covered. The costs were estimated at millions of lei and the European Unjoin will offer financial support of millions of euros to help us cope with the situation,” Marcel Spatari stated in the program “Secrets of the Power” on Jurnal TV channel.
Yesterday, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, who paid an official visit to Chisinau, announced that the EU will offer Moldova €15 million to help it manage the refugee crisis. The minister said that besides financial assistance, the Government needs volunteers to optimize the accommodation process.
“The Government has a volunteer platform with 2,800 registered volunteers. If necessary, they are mobilized at the 170 refugee accommodation centers. Yesterday, when we opened Block No. 6 of USM, 30 volunteers came and gathered the desks and did all the other necessary things. The refugees could be accommodated in two hours,” stated the minister.
Yesterday, Moldova’s Railways provided a train with 11 railcars for transporting over 1,200 refugees from Ukraine who entered the Republic of Moldova through the Otaci-Moghiliov Podolsk border crossing point.
