Of the more than 515,000 Ukrainian citizens who entered the country since the start of the war in Ukraine, 79,075 chose to stay here, Government spokesperson Dan Cărbunaru explained at a press briefing on March 19.

Of these, 30,000 are children, and some of them are already in the care of specialized institutions of the Romanian state, he explained. “Of course, there are many others who need integrating into the educational system, access to healthcare services and other categories of social services that Romania needs to be ready to provide,” he said.

A team of the European Commission is expected in Bucharest this week to discuss mechanisms to cover the expenses that Romania incurred so far to manage the influx of refugees. Currently, these amount to EUR 30.5 million, according to a first evaluation, Cărbunaru explained.

“The cost structures are complex because they include not only the expenses with accommodation and food; as you know, the Government decided to provide free transportation to the refugees entering Romania, many of them decide to leave the country, either through Bulgaria or Hungary. So these costs refer not just to managing the close to 80,000 Ukrainian citizens who decided to stay on Romania’s territory.”

Meanwhile, NGO Save the Children Romania said 528 children from Ukraine have arrived unaccompanied in Romania so far, and 225 of them are still in care centers in the country. 

Among others, the organization is working to identify families and reunite children with their extended families or friends from Ukraine, Romania, Poland, and other neighboring countries. The pressing needs are related to rapid humanitarian assistance, information, and emotional support, both at the border and in the centers where these are accommodated, the NGO said.

(Photo: Virgil Simionescu/ Inquam Photos)

simona@romania-insider.com