More than 2.5million Ukrainians have already fled their homeland, according to the United Nations, causing the greatest refugee crisis in Europe since 1945. But remarkable stories are already emerging of how people are responding to their desperate needs with kindness and generosity, with Christians often to the fore in this vital work.
Mihai Malancea is the Director of Christian University Divitia Gratia, located at Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, which borders southern Ukraine. Evangelicals Now caught up with him during his short trip to the UK to link up with the Eurasia Education Foundation and asked him what his university did, and how it was responding to the flood of Ukrainian refugees.
‘Divitia Gratia works with students, many from the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and so on. We teach theology and practical business skills, aiming to reach people with the gospel whilst simultaneously building communities that can withstand sustained pressure from Muslim authorities.
‘From December we began helping 40 Afghan refugee families who are now in Tajikistan and Kurdistan. But now we are flooded by Ukrainians. Over 200 arrive each day and we put some up in a hotel we own in Chisinau, others on the university campus. Some want to stay, others are moving through to Hungary, Romania and farther afield. There are several evangelical churches on the border and they have organised cars to take the refugees, mainly women and children, to the city and to give them food and medicine when they arrive in Moldova. Many are suffering from extreme forms of stress and we try to treat that too.
‘We are very joyful to see how our country is so open to receiving these people – many of us think we may be next on Putin’s list after Ukraine. Most Moldovans consider the Russian invaders war criminals and believe Putin should be brought before the International Criminal Court.
‘One story stands out for me. Sabil, an Afghan, is married to a Ukrainian lady, a medical doctor who fled Ukraine recently with her 82-year-old mother. They left so fast they did not even have time to pack suitcases, just threw a few possessions into a couple of plastic bags as their entire lives crumbled around them. They owned three flats in Odessa but have no idea if they will still be there after the invaders have finished – or if they will ever be able to return to them.
‘I was privileged to be able to have them stay in my own home for a few days before they could travel to the Czech Republic, and then on to Northern Ireland where they can now live in safety with her daughter’.
