Japan Team Finds Moldova Needs Ongoing Aid
The UN refugee agency estimates at least 4.3 million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. An aid agency team from Japan went to Moldova to assess what can be done to assist evacuees from Ukraine and Moldova's government. Ukraine's tiny neighbor has the highest number of refugees per capita in Europe.
The team from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA, arrived on March 20. Members visited evacuation centers as well as hospitals and other medical facilities.
On Friday, they held an online news conference to discuss their findings.
One member noted medicine imported from Ukraine before the fighting started is expected to run short. Another said the locals are worried more evacuees will flood in if Russia escalates the conflict.
Kubo Tatsuhiko, the leader of the team, said the country's medical capacity is limited. Some hospitals use equipment that is decades old. Others face manpower shortages.
"I hope every donor and all of us will keep remain watching the situation and work with people of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as other neighboring countries," Kubo said.
As team members made their assessment, they also shared Japan's knowledge in the area of natural disaster response.
JICA says it will use the team's reports to help it map out how best to continue supporting the evacuees and their hosts.