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Country analysis

Moldova


The Russia–Ukraine conflict started in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, triggering mass displacement within Ukraine and abroad.

Initially, an influx of more than 700,000 people were displaced from Ukraine to or through Moldova. By 30 June 2025, over 133,000 refugees from Ukraine remained in the country. Financial, administrative, and informational barriers, as well as unemployment, continue to prevent access to free healthcare particularly for older refugees, those who have chronic illnesses, or people with disabilities.

Another financially related hardship pertains to housing support, which is also compounded for an unknown number of the Roma community, who face discrimination based on their ethnicity. 80% of displaced refugees are women and children, and the majority of the refugees rely on humanitarian aid. Care responsibilities and language barriers bar women with children from accessing employment opportunities. (CFR accessed 13/08/2025, UNHCR accessed 13/08/2025, UNHCR 19/01/2025, UN accessed 13/08/2025)

The Russia–Ukraine conflict started in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, triggering mass displacement within Ukraine and abroad.

Initially, an influx of more than 700,000 people were displaced from Ukraine to or through Moldova. By 30 June 2025, over 133,000 refugees from Ukraine remained in the country. Financial, administrative, and informational barriers, as well as unemployment, continue to prevent access to free healthcare particularly for older refugees, those who have chronic illnesses, or people with disabilities.

Another financially related hardship pertains to housing support, which is also compounded for an unknown number of the Roma community, who face discrimination based on their ethnicity. 80% of displaced refugees are women and children, and the majority of the refugees rely on humanitarian aid. Care responsibilities and language barriers bar women with children from accessing employment opportunities. (CFR accessed 13/08/2025, UNHCR accessed 13/08/2025, UNHCR 19/01/2025, UN accessed 13/08/2025)

current crises
in Moldova


These crises have been identified through the INFORM Severity Index, a tool for measuring and comparing the severity of humanitarian crises globally.

Read more about the Index

MDA002 - Displacement from Ukraine

Last updated 18/08/2025


Drivers

International Displacement

Crisis level

Country

Severity level

2.1 Medium

Access constraints

1.0

Analysis products
on Moldova

Ukraine: regional overview of Ukrainian refugees in host countries

05 September 2023

Ukraine: regional overview of Ukrainian refugees in host countries

DOCUMENT / PDF / 2 MB

This report provides an overview of the situation of refugees from Ukraine in six host countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. The report aims to compare the scale of displacement in each country and their response capacity.

Mixed migration
Moldova: Ukrainian refugees

14 March 2022

Moldova: Ukrainian refugees

DOCUMENT / PDF / 197 KB

On 24 February 2022, the Russian Government announced a large-scale military operation against Ukraine. UNHCR projected that at least 100,000 Ukrainians would arrive in Moldova by July 2022 as a result of the crisis in Ukraine.

Mixed migration
View more