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The Disability & Age Task Force (DATF) was established in March 2022 with the support of the Refugee Coordination Forum and under the Protection Working Group. The Task Force is composed of humanitarian actors including Government authorities, United Nations Agencies, International and National NGOs, and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), providing specific services for people with disabilities and older people. Its objective is to improve the inclusion of older persons and persons with disabilities in the Ukrainian Refugee Response in the Republic of Moldova, ensuring access to mainstream services as well as guaranteeing the availability of specific services to respond to needs.

BACKGROUND

Almost three years have passed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, forcing millions of Ukrainians to flee the country in search of safety. Moldova in its turn is the country that has received the largest numbers of refugees per capita of the population of 2,4 million. As of end of December 2024, about 135,000 refugees from Ukraine still remained sheltered in Moldova, with about 76,000 having received asylum, temporary protection, or residence status OLDER REFUGEES BRIEFING NOTE BACKGROUND Disability & Age Task Force Refugee Coordination Forum Moldova in Moldova to enable their continued legal stay in the country and access to services. The refugees in Moldova are primarily arriving from the Southern and Southwestern parts of Ukraine, including from the city of Odessa.

The demographic composition of those crossing the border is made up primarily of women travelling with dependents (infants, children and older persons), with a large proportion of them becoming single caregivers as a consequence of family separation forced by the conflict.

In terms of family composition, 58% are women and girls, 42% men and boys, while 6%are people with disabilities and 17% are older people. Among older people around 50% are persons with disabilities which exacerbates the risks that this category of refugees faces.

This briefing note aims to provide an overview of the situation of older refugees in Moldova and the gaps and needs they face, as well as the current efforts being made by humanitarian stakeholders to address these challenges.