Lives in limbo after three years of full-scale war

Before the war, the family lived what felt like a very normal life, with the children enrolled in school or kindergarten and Olga working as a shop assistant. Things changed when the full-scale Russian invasion began in 2022. But Zaporizhzhia was one of the last cities to be targeted by missile strikes, so the family stayed on there for six months – only fleeing to Moldova when it became too dangerous to remain any longer.

Taking a special bus route that had been set up to evacuate families, Olga and her children made the long, 23-hour journey from Zaporizhzhia to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. There, they were met with cash assistance and essential support from UNHCR.

Olga photographed alongside her children in their home. © UNHCR/Mark Macdonald

“It was a great help,” Olga remembers. “The children were well-provided for – they had enough clothes and food. It was sufficient. We didn’t lack anything.”

From Chisinau, the family made their way 60 miles north to the village of Alexeevca. But when the children started school, they found all the lessons were held in Romanian and struggled to keep up with their learning.

Luckily, one of UNHCR’s local partners helped them find a flat in the nearby town of Ungheni, where there’s a school that teaches in Russian and Romanian. The children settled in quickly and Olga managed to find work in a carpet factory. But the shifts are long and don’t leave her much time to spend with her children. It’s hard for her bringing them up alone – and it’s even harder in the depths of winter.

“In winter, I’m worried about the utility bills being very high,” she says. “I’m worried about having to dress the children and get shoes for them to go to school. It’s cold – and honestly, I simply don’t have enough money.”

That’s why for Olga, the support of UNHCR and its local partners is a real lifeline. At her local community centre, she was recently provided with winter essentials, including bed sheets, towels, warm quilts and thermal blankets for everyone in her family. She also received a solar lamp and a hygiene kit – full of vital things like soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary items and washing detergent. It’s the second time she’s been given help in this way.

Like many Ukrainian refugees, Olga fervently hopes that the war will end, but she doesn’t know what she’d do if that happened. Over time, she and her children have made friends, put down roots and become very settled in Moldova. While the war continues, Moldovan continues to provide refuge and safety, with local communities coming together to support displaced families.

“To be honest, my children don’t even want to think about going back to Ukraine,” she says. “They like it here. They already have many acquaintances. They have friends now – all of us do.”

Thousands of families like Olga and her children remain displaced inside Ukraine and across neighbouring countries like Moldova and Romania. UNHCR continues to advocate for them and provide assistance, but with funding uncertainty it is the support of donations that is helping keep operations running.

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