The authorities of the Republic of Moldova, despite their modest potential, cope with the flow of refugees coming from Ukraine. The international assistance offered to manage the refugee crisis in Moldova has grown permanently, the standing expert of IPN’s project Igor Boțan stated in a public debate entitled “What will Ukrainian children recollect of war, countries and people?” that was staged by IPN News Agency.
The expert said the nongovernmental organizations are also very active. “According to President Maia Sandu, approximately three fourths of the assistance intended for refugees comes through nongovernmental organizations. This shows that the NGOs are actively involved in this process. Moreover, we saw the support provided by businesspeople for the refugees, by international organizations that came to the Republic of Moldova because they felt they need to. We see ordinary Ukrainian citizens and their cars near apartment buildings. This means that the overwhelming majority, 90% of the refugees, are housed by families of citizens of the Republic of Moldova. So, the task of the authorities is to lodge about 10% of the refugees. Consequently, the authorities, citizens, different social classes of the Republic of Moldova show empathy for the refugees from Ukraine and this shows that society reacts appropriately to this atypical state that is unexpected for us all,” stated Igor Boțan.
He noted that even if they enjoy empathy and support in Moldova, the Ukrainian refugees experience difficult states, primarily psychological, mental ones. “Mental health is now the key problem of children and of grownups too. The children, even if they suffer a lot, can recover easier, while the adults, besides the shock they experienced, are in a period of relaxation and this period is the most difficult one because the grownups need to decide how to live further, when they return home, with what’s left of their property,” said the project’s standing expert.
According to Igor Boțan, it is important for the Ukrainian refugees who are in Moldova to realize that they are not alone. “Their pain is shared by those who house them, who help them and this matters the most for the further protection of their lives. The children permanently externalize their impressions by drawings and consider that these things will be etched on their memory. But they should draw conclusions for the future as they are those who can make a difference between good and evil. Evil exists and it manifested itself suddenly. But there is also the reverse side of the coin – they were helped and can protect their lives further with hope that good will always beats evil,” concluded the expert.
The public debate entitled “What will Ukrainian children recollect of war, countries and people?” was the 235th installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
