Supporting local associations helping Ukrainian refugees

Valentina, a pensioner from Mykolaiv in the south of Ukraine, saw her block of flats partly destroyed by a rocket attack. When her neighbor decided to move to Romania, she asked him to take her with her. Both now live at the center, which gives them access to essential services, including healthcare.

“Valentina’s state of health was very worrying when she arrived at the center. We even had to call her son to inform him of the situation, as we didn’t think she would recover. She is now under medical care and her health has improved,” confides Maksym, one of the students from the Technical Faculty of Construction who volunteered at the center at the start of the conflict.

Like Sergey, a pensioner from Donetsk oblast, the center’s latest residents are unable to find work or housing. Sergey arrived at the center with his wife at the start of the war, forced to flee by violent clashes. His retirement pension is too low to cover all their needs. “We don’t lack anything at the center, but I still want to return to the calm of my home,” admits Sergey.

“Learning Romanian and finding a job is impossible for some Ukrainians. But overcoming the trauma of war remains the greatest challenge for them, points out Aurelia Pasare, president of the 4Change association. They have been separated from their families, and some have relatives who were killed during the war. Some of the women at the center have husbands who have died in combat or whose lives are at stake at the front right now. »

Overcoming the trauma of war

Based on the outskirts of Iasi, in north-eastern Romania, the Nicolina center is a refuge for hundreds of Ukrainians forced to leave their country. It is run by four local NGOs, including the Parentis association, a partner of Action contre la Faim since the early days of the war in Ukraine. The center offers accommodation, hot meals, a social store and activities for both children and adults.

Psychological and psychosocial support sessions supervised by Action contre la Faim help refugees to overcome the trauma of war and facilitate adaptation to their new environment. These weekly sessions enable them to open up, share their emotions and talk about the difficulties they encounter on a daily basis.

“With Action contre la Faim, we set up an emergency humanitarian response, followed by mental health projects based on group and individual therapy sessions, care practices and family planning advice, explains Lioredana Ciofu, vice-president of Parentis. Even if these people are on the road to integration into the host society, mental health remains a primordial need in their reconstruction process,” she adds.

Like many Ukrainians who take part in therapy sessions through artistic expression, Anatoli fled Kherson, occupied by Russian forces, to protect his 7-year-old daughter. His apartment was partially destroyed by rocket fire, and he cannot envisage returning to Ukraine given the insecurity.

“Talking allows us to get away for a while from the problems we face at home and our situation when we were in Ukraine. The therapy sessions with Alina (editor’s note: the center’s psychologist) helped me enormously. I was broken and Alina helped me to get out of that bad situation. I still have problems, but I know I’ll solve them little by little,” says Anatoli.

Larysa and her son Kirill attend weekly group therapy sessions at the Nicolina center, which is one of the few to have accepted Kirill, who suffers from autism, into its care. “I didn’t miss any of the sessions, and now I’m studying to become a social worker at the University of Iasi. I’ve made lots of friends here. I’m really sad to have left my home in Ukraine, but on the other hand, I’m relieved to no longer hear the incessant noise of the bombings,” says Kirill with emotion.

Patients attending the mental health and psychosocial support sessions suffer from mental disorders ranging from anxiety disorders to severe depression, as well as post-traumatic stress and disorders requiring psychiatric treatment. Alina Raveica, one of the center’s psychologists, helps them to regain control and find meaning in their lives. Even so, she admits that some cases prove difficult to deal with emotionally.

“Secondary trauma is a risk for psychologists and psychosocial workers. Recently, one of our psychologists was deeply affected by the story of an elderly woman whose only son was killed in the war. During our supervision sessions, we support psychologists and psychosocial workers in the performance of their duties, ” says Catalina Balaniscu, clinical psychologist and head of mental health and psychosocial support programs for Action contre la Faim in Iasi.

While many Ukrainians speak of their desire to return to their country of origin, the vast majority have no choice but to remain in their host country due to the ongoing hostilities. It is therefore essential to foster social cohesion between displaced persons and host communities over the medium and long term.

“Many people have been in Romania for a while now, and we’re now helping them to become active and engage in academic and professional projects. It’s important for them to be able to project themselves and lead a normal life in spite of everything,” explains Catalina.

Ensuring a sustainable, high-quality humanitarian response for Ukrainians

The spontaneous efforts of host communities have played a vital role in supporting those who have fled Ukraine. However, 20 months after the start of the conflict, both public and private sources of funding are dwindling. This is a cause for concern, all the more so as the approach of winter heralds a possible intensification of attacks on energy infrastructures.

As in the previous year, the associations that run the Nicolina and Lacul Tei centers fear that a massive number of Ukrainians will move to neighboring countries. This situation is particularly alarming given that some refugees depend entirely on aid from international NGOs, as well as from the 50-20 program launched by the Romanian government in response to the refugee crisis.

“Some people will not be able to become self-sufficient after the end of the 50-20 program, announced for December. It is therefore essential that we continue to advocate care for Ukrainian refugees beyond this deadline,” insists Aurelia Pasare, President of the 4Change association.