According to United Nations estimates, the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has caused almost 14 million people to flee their homes. Around half of them have fled to Europe, while around a third are internally displaced persons in Ukraine. Many are also returning to Ukraine, however, sometimes not to their hometowns but to the western parts of the country.

With 120‘000 and one million people respectively, the neighbouring countries of Moldova and Poland are accommodating around one sixth of all displaced persons from Ukraine. This poses enormous challenges, particularly for the Republic of Moldova, one of the economically weakest countries in Europe. The aid programme of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is of great value in this situation. The internationally renowned NGO not only provides emergency aid for displaced people, but also campaigns for their rights. The NRC has been active in Ukraine since 2014 and expanded its activities to Moldova, Poland and Romania in 2022 to support Ukrainian refugees.

As part of the aid programme, Liechtenstein is helping to ensure that digital legal advice can be provided in Poland and smaller schools that have taken in many Ukrainian children get support. The contribution is also being channelled into a digital legal advice portal in Moldova, which provides refugees with comprehensive information about their rights. All measures contribute to the integration of refugees, which is becoming increasingly important as the war continues.