Project Summary:

The Republic of Moldova has experienced one of the largest per capita influx of refugees in Europe since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. Approx. 200,000 refugees arrived to Moldova in the first three months of the war, with 600,000 more people entering the country since. While the majority decided to return to Ukraine or move further to other countries, more than 100,000 refugees decided to remain in Moldova, approx. 4% of the population with usual residence.

Through this project, UNDP has quickly stepped up to support local and national authorities respond to the new context and the emerging needs of the refugees. The project has also recognized the importance of providing refugees with the opportunity to become self-reliant and adaptable by promoting their inclusion into the Moldovan society and economy. The project is helping reduce the burden on host households and communities, already struggling with a complex crisis in energy, food and overall high prices, and strengthen the social cohesion and peaceful coexistence between refugees and host community members.  
 

Objectives:

The project’s objective is to facilitate the socio-economic inclusion of refugees from Ukraine in Moldova, while strengthening local and national capacities to better respond to the refugee influx and strengthening social cohesion in host communities.

Expected results:

• Over 8,500 local community members and refugees have enhanced access to improved social services infrastructure;
• Local authorities have strengthened capacities to respond to the refugee influx and ensure peaceful coexistence in their communities;
• Refugees have access to livelihoods opportunities and related support provided by the National Employment Agency;
• Capacity of local private sector to create jobs for vulnerable people is enhanced;
• Digital solutions are deployed to accelerate digital transformation supporting all people in Moldova, including refugees;
• All relevant stakeholders have increased understanding of refugees’ needs and existing local capacities to respond to the refugee influx.

Accomplishments:

• Energy efficiency was enhanced at one kindergarten in Ceadîr-Lunga, helping reduce the costs for thermo-energy and improve access to the medical services and facilities within the educational institution for 120 children, including refugees;
• A local medical centre in Sireți, Strășeni, was renovated and equipped with necessary medical equipment, facilitating access to medical services for over 7,500 local community members and about 200 refugees hosted in the area;
• A daycare center for elder people was established in Sipoteni, Călărași, set to offer essential daycare services for over 900 potential beneficiaries, including more than 560 women, as well as refugees;
• A Coordination Unit and a Call Centre within the Congress of Local Public Authorities in Moldova(CALM) were established to ensure efficient coordination and communication between local and national authorities. Several meetings, consultations, and information activities were facilitated to support local governments’ response to the refugee influx;
• The National Employment Agency was supported to deliver job-search services which included information, counselling, referral, mediation services on the labour market, as well as skilling and re-skilling for refugees from Ukraine. 60 refugees (of which 58 women) from Chișinău and Bălți completed skilling/re-skilling courses (in the areas of cooking, baking, manicure and pedicure, massage, tailoring, and bartending) for facilitating their integration on the Moldovan labour market;
• 38 new jobs have been created, 17 are in the process of creation, and other 5 existing jobs have been upgraded, following support to five local private companies in Palanca, Edineț, and Strășeni active in the areas of agri-food, IT, and textiles. Eleven Ukrainian refugees have been currently employed;
• The concept of a Social Tension Monitoring Mechanism was developed, to be deployed in 2023, aiming to identify at early stages potential tensions in the society, including in refugee host communities, and define entry points to mitigate these risks;
• An assessment of local governments’ capacities, needs and experience in managing the influx of refugees was conducted.