A group of former peace corps volunteers that were stationed in Moldova are organizing relief efforts for refugees in Ukraine.
Jeff Liu secretary of the Friends of Moldova and others based in the United States knew the Moldovian Government wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demand for aid.
“We assumed the role to feed and help local non profits sustain the amount of refugees until the bigger international organizations stepped in…The majority of our work is establishing networks to distribute food and hygiene products, along with purchasing a large amount of mattresses and bedding accessories for refugees that are staying in shelters and homes,” said Liu.
Considered one of the poorest countries in Europe, Liu said many of the bigger aid agencies are not sending enough financial support to some of the cities in Moldova.
“There’s a lot of demand still going,” he said.
Right now Liu and other members of his organization are trying to raise enough money to purchase a large mini bus. That bus will help them transport food to more distribution sites in northern Moldova.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees there are currently over 94-thousand Ukrainian refugees in Moldova.
Meanwhile those with the Friends of Moldova said they know their work is making a difference. They recently heard from a group of 8 Ukrainians including several children who escaped from Oblast. They went weeks without food, sometimes only eating just a handful of flour. They didn’t have gas, electricity or running water either. The group of eight whose homes were bombed thanked the organization for all they did.
If you’re interested in learning more about The Friends of Moldova you can visit their site at thefriendsofmoldova.com. You can also learn how you can make donations there as well.