On the front line: the City Hall that hears the sound of war and the team that helps local public authorities cope with the situation with calm
On the early morning of 24 February 2022, the small border village of Palanca was shaken by the arrival of refugees from Ukraine. Within moments, the initial anxiety and shock transformed into a strong sense of solidarity and desire to lend a helping hand.
The unexpected scenario caught everyone off guard and the town hall had to quickly adapt and learn how to effectively coordinate the reactions of people, the influx of donations, and the requests from organizations wanting to contribute.
The Congress of Local Authorities in Moldova (CALM), an umbrella association, established a crisis cell to facilitate the response of local communities and their communication with the Government.
Irina Luncașu, project coordinator at CALM, and Dumitru Cozlovschi, mayor of Palanca, shared the lessons learned from the crisis and fragments of their professional and personal experiences, experiences that they are still processing and from which they hope to emerge more resilient.
What were the major challenges you faced during the management of the refugee influx and how did you overcome them?
Irina Luncașu: Starting with 24 February, when the entire country woke up to a war at the border, public authorities found themselves at the forefront of interacting with refugees. The country was unprepared: neither the local nor the central authorities, nor the society as a whole. No one was prepared for such a major crisis.
Knowing that the legal framework needs adjustments and that local authorities are limited in terms of access to available funds and coverage of expenses for refugees, CALM, with the support of UNDP and EU, established a crisis cell to assist local authorities.
We organized several online meetings with the Government, including on weekends. We had up to 600 mayors connected to the Government session in the early days following 24 February, to see how local and central authorities could collaborate. The purpose of the crisis cell was to facilitate the connection between local public authorities, the Government, and development partners and to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to manage the physical and financial resources provided to refugees.
Dumitru Cozlovschi: The biggest challenge we faced was the influx of refugees we encountered at the border in Palanca. It was the first time, and it was difficult to decide where to start. During the first week, we were constantly at the border point, monitoring what was happening and how we could help, alongside the Border Police forces and representatives of other institutions. The biggest challenge was accommodating the refugees who wanted to stay in Palanca. During winter, it was cold, and even though many families were willing to host refugees, not all of them had the necessary conditions, not all the rooms in their houses were heated…
We conducted a survey in the locality and compiled a list of families that could accommodate refugees.
Colleagues called each family and identified 300 families who could accommodate refugees.
There were also families who would meet me on the street and ask how they could get involved, offering food, potatoes. Children’s Daycare Center prepared hot meals that were transported to the border checkpoint, where most people were located. After passing through customs, it became easier to distribute the refugees, each of them leaving for their desired direction.
How did you identify the needs of the refugees and connect them with existing resources?
Irina Luncașu: Within the crisis cell, a Call Center was established to receive calls from local authorities and identify their needs. With UNDP support, we initiated an online survey to identify the needs of the refugees and the support required by local authorities. We later shared this information with the central authorities and donors.
Dumitru Cozlovschi: We contacted all the mayors in the district and asked them to compile lists of families that could host refugees and identify their needs. In the early days, many organizations brought food and hygiene products to Palanca. However, there was not an immediate need for such a large quantity, so we stored them in the Community Center, allowing other mayors from the region to pick up the products they needed. We tried to distribute the refugees to nearby villages so that we could accommodate those arriving in Palanca during the night.
We also collaborated with CALM, sharing data on refugees and their needs. We received vouchers for food and hygiene products provided by UNDP Moldova. Guesthouses and agro-tourism facilities accommodating refugees received financial compensation to cover their bills due to UNDP and Switzerland support. We continue to cooperate with CALM to address the basic needs of refugees.
How was the integration process of refugees into the local community?
Irina Luncașu: In smaller localities, employment opportunities are limited. Many refugees have settled in Chișinău and its neighboring areas, such as Ialoveni and Strășeni districts, as they offer more job opportunities. In Chișinău area there are more schools that teach in Russian and even Ukrainian languages, facilitating the integration of children into schools and kindergartens.
Throughout the country, the National Employment Agency provides refugees with access to updated information about available jobs, the process of starting a business, and more.
In some cases, Ukrainian refugees who had small businesses in their localities, such as barbershops or other small individual enterprises, managed to open similar businesses in the host communities. Various social integration events were organized, including holidays like Easter, where refugees were invited to cook together and showcase their traditions, both culinary and cultural. These actions contributed to bringing people closer together and eliminating stereotypes, making the refugees feel more connected to our citizens. In return, our citizens also became more open towards the dozens of people who suddenly became their neighbors.
Dumitru Cozlovschi: As children, in a village located at the border with Ukraine, we used to watch Ukrainian TV channels. The refugees were able to integrate fairly quickly into the local environment as they communicate in their language with the villagers. However, professional opportunities are very limited, even for the villagers themselves, we are more of a transit locality. Those who decided to stay here are people who live in neighbouring regions and intend to return home as soon as possible. They live with their relatives in Palanca and commute home frequently to take care of households and bills.
What role did technology play in managing the refugee crisis and how did you use it in your work processes?
Irina Luncașu: Technology played a vital role in managing the crisis. Refugees used the Dopomoga website, where they could find information about news and relevant opportunities for them, such as transportation to Europe, free charter flights, job opportunities, or financial reimbursements. Technology was a magical tool widely used.
Dumitru Cozlovschi: In our locality, we have a dedicated Viber group for refugees and we are also members, as the local public authority. In this group, we distribute information and conduct surveys, both with host families and refugees. We inform them about various activities, grants and other opportunities. It was more difficult to contact residents by phone before, because they frequently changed their numbers. We used to send the city hall guardian to knock on doors and inform people. With the Viber group, everything is much easier, over 100 members are up to date with everything that is happening.
Looking back, what would you do differently in similar circumstances?
Irina Luncașu: I believe that a lot has been done and done well. This triangle formed by the central authorities, local authorities, and civil society is indispensable in mitigating crises. We have a lot of work to do in terms of the legal aspect, like empowering more the first-level local authorities. Any problem, whether it’s refugees or natural disasters, pandemics, happens at the local level — village, commune, town, city. These authorities, which are most close to the problems, need to access the necessary resources and tools to effectively manage any challenges.
Dumitru Cozlovschi: I don’t think I would change anything, I believe we made the best decisions at that time. We immediately convened the local emergency situations commission and provided everything necessary for the Refugee Center. We acted as a liaison between the border crossing point and the organizations coming to offer assistance. Initially, everyone turned to the municipality for information, while we involved the villagers as well. It was a process in which all citizens, not just the municipality, were involved.
What was your approach to communicating with the general public regarding the crisis, and what measures did you take to combat misinformation?
Irina Luncașu: We used various communication channels to deliver information and facilitate the exchange of messages with refugees. In addition to the CALM website, we have a nationally broadcast radio show called “Up high with CALM” aired on Jurnal FM, ECO FM, and Vocea Basarabiei radio stations. Mayors and experts participated in various national television and radio programs to address this issue. Additionally, the CALM newspaper is distributed to all local and central public authorities, with a circulation of 1000 copies.
A separate page for the crisis cell was created on the CALM website and all announcements received from donors, international organizations, and NGOs were posted on the Facebook account, providing useful information to both refugees and local public authorities. In case there was information about charter flights that was not reaching the refugees, we organized on-site meetings with representatives from the respective embassies to inform refugees about these opportunities.
We distributed guides to combat misinformation because we needed to avoid hate speech. Mitigating and preventing the escalation of rumors through combating false information were priorities.
The participation of municipalities in the “My Locality for Peace” initiative and their supportive messages posted on social media created an image of Moldova as being open to refugees with support and peace. UNDP helped us adapt this campaign for each locality.
Dumitru Cozlovschi: I was often asked by people in the village whether certain rumors were true or not, as false information was circulating, and many people were scared and couldn’t decide whether to leave or stay. I recommended everyone to follow information from official sources, such as the government’s Telegram channel, “First Source”. Over time, the level of panic decreased in the locality as people consumed and shared less false information.
How did you address the mental health needs of refugees and manage stress within your own team?
Irina Luncașu: The mental health of everyone involved was a major concern. Many refugees were facing mental health issues, and unfortunately, even our own citizens do not have easy access to such services. However, this crisis proved that any problem can be solved through the willingness to cooperate among civil society, the government, and donors. Due to initiatives and funding from various sources, many refugees received specialized psychological and medical assistance.
Each person in our team had fears and experienced stress when we found ourselves with a war at the gate, but we didn’t even have time to dwell on our personal problems because there was so much work and so many decisions that had to be taken quickly, so we somehow missed the initial stage of fear.
When you focus on helping others, that activity takes over and becomes therapeutic through the work you do.
Dumitru Cozlovschi: At the Community Center, we organized regular sessions with a psychologist, both for refugees and their host families. The center also serves as information center and provides medical consultations when necessary.
The initial period was more difficult for me and my colleagues, but we stopped following the news and social media and focused on the actions that needed to be taken in the locality. We tried to be calm within the team, even though we were hearing the air raid siren from Odessa very often. At first, we didn’t understand what it was. We were more concerned about the sounds caused by bomb explosions near the border. Sometimes, the doors in houses would open due to the shockwaves from the explosions. In June 2022, we heard about 7 bombs, and the next day, we counted together with colleagues how many bombs each of us had heard. We are accustomed to it now, dogs start barking before the explosions. We know what is coming.
Maybe it’s not that good that we got used to all of this, but otherwise, we would live in constant stress like in the early days. We are still seeking that balance between carefree routine and the continuous state of vigilance.
