Chisinau, Moldova, April 12, 2022: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, handed today over 21 off-road vehicles to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Republic of Moldova to support the Government’s response to the refugee crisis in Ukraine.
With a value of over half a million US dollars, the vehicles will be used by the border police of the Republic of Moldova to strengthen mobility and increase monitoring capacity.
Since the onset of the refugee crisis in Ukraine, due to the ongoing armed conflict, the Moldovan Border Police has mobilized about 1,500 employees to ensure the security of the state border, but also to effectively manage the massive refugee flows. It has made adjustments to its legislation to ensure that border crossings operate non-stop with the maximum use of their infrastructure.
“The government has significantly improved its ability to streamline the border crossing and facilitated the entry of more than 400,000 newcomers from Ukraine in just six weeks,” said Francesca Bonelli, UNHCR Representative to Moldova. “We believe that these vehicles will further enhance the mobility of the border police between the various border crossing points in order to facilitate the further crossing of the border from Ukraine.”
“Thank you for the support provided to the Ministry of Interior and to the refugees coming to Moldova, fleeing the war. This donation will strengthen our ability to monitor border security more effectively. We are in a difficult period, full of daily challenges, but through joint efforts we manage to ensure the security of the citizens “, mentioned Ana Revenco, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova.
UNHCR is strengthening its capacity in Moldova, expanding international support for refugees and providing much-needed humanitarian supplies in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Moldova.
On April 11, more than 413,000 refugees from Ukraine entered the Republic of Moldova. Most have left for European countries, about 96,000 Ukrainians are still generously hosted in Moldova.