CHISINAU/NEW YORK, March 25, 2022 – One month following war broke out in Ukraine, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom has traveled to Moldova to meet children and families fleeing Ukraine as refugees.
During her two-day stay, Bloom visited one of the “blue points” set up by UNICEF in Palanca, southwestern Moldova, where women and children go to rest and receive help as they cross the border from Ukraine in search of of security.
“I met a mother who had just arrived at the border crossing with her three young children. She told me that they had fled the Ukraine the night before following a bomb hit her neighbours’ house: they were too scared to stay there,” Bloom recounted. “It was heartbreaking to see this and other families arrive at the border following long journeys, loaded down with few belongings and not knowing their final destination.”
UNICEF and UNHCR, in collaboration with governments and civil society organizations, have installed three “blue points” on the most important refugee routes in Moldova. In these safe spaces, which serve as a stopover for families, important information is provided, the identification of unaccompanied and separated children is facilitated, and their protection from exploitation is guaranteed. In addition, it is a center for access to basic services.
Since the war began on February 24, more than 1.8 million children have fled Ukraine and tens of thousands have crossed into Moldova. Many refugees continue their journey to other countries, while nearly 100,000 (half of them children) have stayed in Moldova with host families and volunteers or in refugee centers set up by governments.
“The danger facing refugee children in Ukraine is very real and pressing and is growing every day. Those traveling alone are especially vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation as they travel long and tortuous distances,” said Maha Damaj, UNICEF Representative in Moldova. “UNICEF is working around the clock in Moldova to provide psychosocial care and protection services to children and families who cross the border in search of safety.”
During her visit, Bloom also met with children and families at the Moldexpo refugee center in Chisinau, one of more than 100 centers in Moldova where families can sleep, find medical and legal information, and eat hot meals before to continue their travels.
At the center, Bloom met a family of five who had fled the Ukraine a few days earlier with the clothes on their backs and a small amount of money. After their arrival in Moldova and following five nights at Moldexpo, a local family had offered to host them until they had all the necessary documentation to continue.
“Many children and families I have spoken with have not only left behind their homes, but also their friends and family, their schools, and virtually all of their belongings. As a parent, I cannot imagine the pain and confusion they must feel,” added Bloom, who already visited eastern Ukraine with UNICEF in 2016. “The blue points set up by UNICEF at the borders are an essential first stop for mothers who They are desperate for respite, as well as a safe place where their children can play.”
UNICEF recently warned of the heightened risk of exploitation and human trafficking faced by millions of children fleeing war and many others who are on the move within Ukraine due to violence. In response, UNICEF and its partners are expanding “blue spots” in refugee-hosting countries, including Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, and are calling on governments in the region to put in place measures to protect refugees. to boys and girls. This includes tightening child protection checks at border crossings.
