Cruzești commune, a model for managing the refugee crisis in Moldova

The commune of Cruzești has become a second home for Ukrainian refugees. On 14 October, the residents of Cruzești and Ukrainian refugees, along with mayors, representatives of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, UN Women Moldova, UNHCR-Moldova and the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM), gathered to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives during the war in Ukraine.

During the event, which was called "Cruzești for Peace and Women for Peace", the guests of Cruzești, together with the hosts, participated in a Peace March and laid down flowers in memory of Ukrainian citizens who have lost their lives in this terrible war, including children.

Larisa Voloh, chairwoman of the Public Administration Committee of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, said that the event’s activities were aimed at promoting solidarity, peace and empathy towards what is happening in Ukraine. "Seeing these wonderful children from Cruzești, we convince ourselves for the umpteenth time that we have the duty to offer them a peaceful, bright future here at home. We want our children to grow up in a prosperous country and not know the plagues of war. We condemn the aggression and do our best to keep the peace".”

Francesca Bonelli, the Country Representative of UNHCR-Moldova, thanked Cruzești’s residents for the solidarity they showed in supporting refugees, noting that the same thing has happened across the entire country.

Svetlana Andrieș, a Programme Specialist for UN Women Moldova, mentioned that the organisation she represents supports all women leaders at the local and central level. "Together, we aim to promote gender equality, equal rights and obligations for women and men as well as the welfare of women, men, girls and boys through our partners - CALM, with the financial support of Sweden". In light of International Day of Rural Women, which is marked on 15 October, Andrieș congratulated all the women from Cruzești commune.

Violeta Crudu, the mayor of Cruzești, Chișinău Municipality, spoke about the achievements registered with UN Women Moldova and CALM. "I worked with my colleagues from City Hall to ensure gender-sensitive budgeting, achieve the strategy of Cruzești commune and build the playground for children. All these objectives have been achieved thanks to our partnership with CALM and UN Women Moldova, and with the financial support of Sweden. Other interesting initiatives follow. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the fact that you promote women; you help us become better in the fields in which we operate".

The event organised in Cruzești is part of the project "Providing extensive support for the capacity building of local public authorities, including women mayors and women members of the CALM Women's Network", which is supported by UN Women with the financial support of Sweden and implemented by CALM.

Since the beginning of the war, about 80 refugees have been hosted in Cruzești commune.