ReliefWeb

Key findings

• This is a protection crisis in which women, children, Roma population, PwD, transgender people and LGTB community and people crossing illegally are facing great risks,

• CMR was never performed before in Moldova, therefore they are currently figuring out how to perform it within the framework of the crisis. Big capacities and knowledge gaps around this lifesaving service

• Roma population is subject to great discrimination from all stakeholders engaged in the crisis management.
  Inclusiveness is not yet guarantee.

• LGBT community also face discrimination in a very patriarchal society at both sides: Moldova and Ukraine.

• Transnistria is not openly spoken of within the humanitarian mechanism, despite been the poorest region in the country (and hosting refugees)

• Mostly all humanitarian actors are concentrating in the blue dots and in Chisinau, leaving huge parts of the country and the countryside with scarcity of resources and services.

Executive Summary

The war started the 24th Feb 2022 with Russia attacking Ukraine, though the Russo-Ukrainian war is an ongoing war between Russia (together with pro-Russian separatist forces) and Ukraine and it originally began in February 2014 following the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity, and initially focused on the status of Crimea and parts of the Donbas, internationally recognised as part of Ukraine. The first eight years of the conflict included the Russian annexation of Crimea (2014) and the war in Donbas (2014–present) between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists.
Since Feb 2022 it is believed that more than 10 million Ukrainians have been displaced, half of them flying the country.
Moldova is mainly a transit country and one of the main transit routes used to reach Romania from Odesa, through Palanca.
Despite fluctuations in figures of refugees in Moldova, there are around 100.000 remaining in the country. Out of them 65% females and 50% children1 .
There is a coordination humanitarian mechanism established by UNHCR and lead by the Office of the Prime Ministry. Blue dots as “one stop centers” have been established in the three bordering sites, with transport, basic health needs and other services available (including referral pathways).
Humanitarian actors are elaborating Standard Operational Procedures (SPOs) related to several services, specially on GBV.
Moldova relies on a very conservative society, where gender roles a very rigid. This has an impact on refugees who are mostly women and children.
Moldova is doing its best to response to this crisis, welcoming refugees. As the poorest country in Europe it needs support itself to scale-up response and provide the quantity and quality of services demanded When finalising this report (27th April) concerns on Transnistria security were arising due to several attacks on the 25th April.

Key recommendations

An intersectional feminist approach is needed to better understand compound complex vulnerabilities and to support local organisations, helping them scale-up their responses.
From this approach, safe-spaces for women, adolescents and girls, would be fundamental to support them in building agency, empowerment and resilience Host communities should be also supported in several ways, also to ensure PSEA prevention measures.
Within Ukraine, basic needs are increasing as war advances. Elderly women and those with mobility issues face special challenges that should be addressed through targeted actions Advocacy work is needed to fight back racism and differential access to services and protection.
This crisis might also be used as an example on refugee reception and asylum provision so that refugees from other crisis can benefit also from the protection granted.
Survivor-center approach needs to be apply in all GBV service provisions; partners should be receiving training on the matter, alongside with training on a variety of protection issues.
Moldovan Government should be challenged when it comes to visas’ policies