Russia Ukraine invasion: 10km refugee queues at Romanian border, World Vision staffer says

A woman fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine holds her baby at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo / AP

Below is an eyewitness account from Alberto Roca, from World Vision Romania, who has been on the border distributing aid packages to Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Romania.

Over the past few days, I've been standing on the Romanian border watching the queues of Ukrainians grow as they flee their homeland. As the days pass, the lines of people searching for safety, food, water and shelter grow longer and longer – trailing back well beyond 10km on the Ukrainian side of the border.

We have been greeting them as they arrive, providing urgent assistance to women and children arriving in Romania in desperate search of safety. So far, I have met hundreds of mothers who have been forced to leave their homes and their partners, all travelling by foot and with their children. Hundreds of thousands more refugees are expected to arrive in coming days. Millions are in need of humanitarian assistance.

They arrive weary and afraid at the thought that they will probably have to care for their children alone, without their partners. Their husbands, partners, sons, fathers, brothers and uncles have stayed behind, to fight for the freedom of Ukraine. The Ukraine government requires Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 to remain in the country, many have been urged to join the army.

Heartbroken, exhausted and confused, the women fear that they may never see their partners again, and that their children – girls and boys – have been deprived of family security.

World Vision Romania staff member Alberto Roca with Ukrainians on the border with Romania. Photo / World Vision

I look at the faces of the young children arriving at the border and see despair in their eyes. They don't understand what is happening. They've made a treacherous journey to get here – their mothers pulling them along by the hand just as they pull their suitcases, in a hurry to escape danger. They are the lucky ones to have made it – Ukraine is home to 7.5 million children, 2.1 million of those are under the age of 5. Many will be left behind.

The people we are seeing arrive with very little, some with just the clothes on their backs, others with their winter clothes filled with whatever food they have left, and small backpacks or suitcases packed in haste containing only the bare essentials.

For a short moment, I see their tired faces light up when we hand them food, water and hygiene products, and moral support. Playing, and simply "being a child", is a thing of the past for many of these children, who have had to leave their favourite toys at home. So, watching the smiles on children's faces after receiving toy gifts at the border has been one of the most moving and emotional things I've experienced throughout this. These small but significant moments are ones of hope. Right now, it's that feeling of hope that refugees, arriving in need of emotional support, food, accommodation and transportation, cling on to.

Zlata, 3, fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine, stands at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania. Photo / AP

Many have no idea where they are heading, others hope to get to relatives in Romania or in the rest of Europe. They all share so much in common – they just need somewhere to stay and feel safe.

World Vision is one of the only organisations on the ground right now, providing urgent supplies for children and mothers fleeing for their lives. We are giving them emergency aid packages, including hygiene equipment and child-friendly kits. We are doing all we can to help with their immediate needs as they cross into our country, their lives carried with them in a suitcase.

We are also providing psychosocial support. These children's lives have changed in an instant – packing up and fleeing their normal lives within a few hours. Most have left their fathers, their uncles, their grandfathers behind, unsure whether they will see them again. The psychological impact on these children is huge, and so along with providing physical aid, we are organising teams to provide counselling. We will also be supporting educational continuity for children. We know from our experience in conflict zones around the world, that this helps to restore a sense of normality and
creates better coping mechanisms during what might very well become an ongoing crisis.

We expect to see an increasing number of people arriving in coming days, which will create increased urgency for additional food, housing, hygiene, transport and emotional support. Available accommodation, which is already in short supply, will soon become exhausted. We are working at speed to scale up our operations to ensure we are meeting the fast-growing need we are seeing.

Refugees fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine exit a tent at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo / AP

It's been a very emotional time seeing the never-ending stream of people crossing the border. I can't help but think that a couple of weeks ago they were living relatively normal lives like you or I – waking up and going to school or work, then coming home and sitting together as a family to eat dinner. And now this. It's almost unfathomable.

Every day I pray for the children of Ukraine to be safe. I think in this moment they are so scared that they could suffer trauma that will last a lifetime. We must be there to help them.

• World Vision is on the ground right now at the Ukrainian border in Romania. You can help provide vital essentials to Ukrainian children and their families forced to flee their homes because of conflict. Text DONATE to 5055 to donate $3 to help children & families affected by the crisis in Ukraine or go to www.worldvision.org.nz.