Shipments of medical aid arrived in Moldova’s capital city this week, infusing support for the country that shares a border with Ukraine and has absorbed more refugees per capita than almost any country in Europe.
On Wednesday, the eight-ton shipment of medical aid from Direct Relief arrived in Chișinău for the country’s Ministry of Health.
The agency specifically requested medicines included in the 16,595-pound shipment, including cancer treatments, antibiotics, and medications for asthma and respiratory conditions, mental health, and Covid-19.
More than 380,000 Ukrainians have crossed the border into Moldova since Russia’s invasion. Most have moved to other countries after arrival, but at least 100,000 remain in the country of 2.6 million people. Moldova shares eight official border crossing stations with Ukraine, according to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
This week’s shipment was the first shipment to Moldova from Direct Relief and will support a regional response to the humanitarian crisis while bolstering medical services within Ukraine.
Since war broke out, nearly 200 tons of medical aid have been shipped into Ukraine by Direct Relief, including insulin, cancer treatment therapies, antibiotics, surgical supplies, essential medications and more.