Fundația de Binefacere Caritas Moldova | |
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Established | 10 May 1995[1] |
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Founder | Anton Coșa [2] |
Type | Nonprofit |
Registration no. | 1015620003945 [1] |
Legal status | Foundation [1] |
Purpose | social services, humanitarian relief |
Location | |
Coordinates | 47°00′15″N28°49′28″E / 47.0043°N 28.8244°E |
Origins | Catholic Social Teaching |
Region served | Moldova |
Services | social services |
Official language | Romanian, English |
Director | Edward Lucaci |
President | Petru Ciobanu |
Affiliations | Caritas Europa, Caritas Internationalis |
Website | www |
Caritas Moldova is a Catholic not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation in Moldova. Caritas Moldova is a member of both the Caritas Europa and the Caritas Internationalis networks. [3]
On 10 May 1995, the "religious catholic mission" Caritas Moldova was registered as the social department of the Roman Catholic Church in Moldova, at the initiative of the Apostolic Administrator for Moldova, Anton Coșa. It operated through the Caritas branches in local parishes, consisting of a local director - the community pastor - and volunteers. On 2 June 2015, Caritas Moldova was reorganised as a charitable foundation under the same name. [3] [2] [4]
Caritas Moldova implements projects to support vulnerable persons at the margins of Moldovan society. This includes educational programmes for children in four centres located in Tiraspol, Rașcov, Petropavlovca and Zârnești, and activities to improve the quality of life of elderly people. They benefit from a wide range of medical and social services provided by professionals at the home of the elderly in four locations. Another vulnerable group are the Romani people who struggle with low literacy rates. Caritas Moldova supports them with their "Reintegration Through Literacy" project. [5] [6]
People who return from EU countries are targeted by the activities from Caritas Moldova who provides them with reintegration support. [5]
After he Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Caritas Moldova implemented large-scale relief projects to support the high number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Moldova. This assistance consisted in cash and voucher support, accommodation, the provision of food and hygiene items and psychosocial and medical support. [5] In 2022 alone, Caritas Moldova assisted 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, providing shelter, food, money and psychological support, and at least one hot meal a day to over 42,000 individuals in eight different national refugee centres. [7] For this purpose, it received funding from other Caritas organisations around the world, as well as from institutional donors such as UNHCR. [8] [9]
Caritas Moldova's youth division "Young Caritas" organised activities for children and teenagers, including summer camps. [5]
In its humanitarian work, Caritas Moldova applies the Sphere Standards. [10]
Caritas Czech Republic has also been active in Moldova since 2004, through its own country office which opened in 2017. [11] The American Caritas, Catholic Relief Services, is present in the country with its own country office as well. [12]
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, on the northeastern corner of the Balkans. The country spans a total of 33,483 km2 (12,928 sq mi) and has a population of approximately 2.5 million as of January 2023. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised breakaway state of Transnistria lies across the Dniester river on the country's eastern border with Ukraine. Moldova is a unitary parliamentary representative democratic republic with its capital in Chișinău, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre.
An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee.
People in Need (PIN) is a Czech nonprofit, non-governmental organisation based in Prague, Czech Republic. PIN implements humanitarian relief and long term development projects, educational programmes, and human rights programmes in crisis affected regions internationally. Its director is Šimon Pánek. As of 2022, PIN operates in 33+ countries.
Caritas Europa is a European confederation of Catholic social service providers and international development and humanitarian relief organisations operating in Europe. It is one of the seven regions of Caritas Internationalis.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Ukraine is an official representative office of the International Organization for Migration in the country and is located in its capital city Kyiv.
Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 national Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. The name Caritas Internationalis refers to both the global network of Caritas organisations and to its general secretariat based in the Vatican City in Rome, Italy.
An ongoing refugee crisis began in Europe in late February 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Over 6 million refugees fleeing Ukraine are recorded across Europe, while an estimated 8 million others had been displaced within the country by late May 2022. Approximately one-quarter of the country's total population had left their homes in Ukraine by 20 March. 90% of Ukrainian refugees are women and children, while most Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are banned from leaving the country. By 24 March, more than half of all children in Ukraine had left their homes, of whom a quarter had left the country. The invasion caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II and its aftermath, is the first of its kind in Europe since the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s, as well as the fourth largest refugee crisis in history, and is the largest refugee crisis of the 21st century, with the highest refugee flight rate globally.
Since the outbreak of the Transnistria conflict, there have been efforts and proposals to reincorporate the unrecognized state of Transnistria into Moldova.
The Deutscher Caritasverband, also sometimes referred to as Caritas Deutschland and internationally known as Caritas Germany, is a German Catholic not-for-profit organisation and social service provider. It is the largest welfare organisation and largest private employer in Germany.
Caritas Switzerland is a Swiss Catholic not-for-profit organisation. Its mission is to prevent, combat and alleviate poverty.
Caritas Ukraine is a Ukrainian Catholic not-for-profit and humanitarian relief organisation.
Caritas Poland is a Polish Catholic not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation. It is a service of the Polish Bishops' Conference and the largest social welfare and charitable organisation in the country.
Caritas Czech Republic is a Czech Catholic not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation. It is a service of the Czech Bishops' Conference and is the largest social welfare and charitable organisation in the country. Caritas Czech Republic is a member of both Caritas Europa and Caritas Internationalis.
Caritas Lebanon is a Catholic Lebanese nonprofit organisation, established in 1976. It is the official aid organisation of the Catholic Church in Lebanon and implements social welfare services and provides humanitarian aid. It is one of the best-known and largest NGOs in the country and a member of Caritas Internationalis and Caritas MONA.
Caritas Kosovo is a Kosovar Catholic not-for-profit organisation. It is a member of both Caritas Europa and Caritas Internationalis.
Caritas Jordan is a Jordanian Catholic charitable organisation.
Caritas Syria is a Syrian Catholic charitable and humanitarian aid organisation.
Caritas Albania is an Albanian Catholic not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation. It is a service of the Albanian Bishops' Conference.
Caritas Lithuania is a Catholic not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation in Lithuania. It is a service of the Episcopal Conference of Lithuania. It operated from 1926 to 1940, when it was forbidden by the Soviet authorities, and was restored in 1989.
Caritas Croatia, sometimes also translated as Croatian Caritas) is a Catholic not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation in Croatia. It is a service of the Episcopal Conference of Croatia.