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Suceava is sending 5 tons of flour and cooking oil to Ukraine's Chernivtsi , Source: Ion Lungu on Facebook

Suceava sends sixth aid convoy to Ukraine: more Romanian cities decide to step up

Suceava sends sixth aid convoy to Ukraine: more Romanian cities decide to step up

Cluj-Napoca will also become a twin city to Chernivtsi in Ukraine and start sending humanitarian packages

On Tuesday, the mayor of Suceava in Romania, Ion Lungu, announced on social media that the city will send another 5 tons of emergency food supplies to their twinned city in Ukraine – Chernivtsi. Chernivtsi is one of the Ukrainian cities located in the west of the country, that has been overwhelmed by people displaced from the Russian invasion.

Suceava authorities made the first delivery across the border back in February, at the onset of the war and then the aid consisted of diesel power generators, first aid kits, mattresses, sleeping bags and tents.

Furthermore, Mayor Lungu also said that after discussions Association of Romanian Municipalities, authorities in Cluj-Napoca have decided to also twin their city with Chernivtsi. He explained the decision as a way for the municipality to both show solidarity and take a more active role in the humanitarian effort.

Internal refugee crisis

From 24 February to 13 April, the Russian invasion displaced an estimated 4.7 million people, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Keeping in mind that this number features the recorded border crossings from Ukraine itself, not accounting for the internally displaced.

This means people who have fled the war zone and moved to the western parts of Ukraine, to places like Chernivtsi and Lviv, where it is relatively safer. In all likelihood, the real number of refugees is much higher.

Back in February, the local government in Chernivtsi asked their Romanian counterparts for aid, diesel generators and medical supplies. Since then, authorities in Suceava have sent aid six times, with Mayor Lungu saying that shipments account for more than 30 tons.

Ion Lungu also said that Chernivtsi authorities were overwhelmed by a large number of refugees and they themselves had asked for emergency food deliveries. The current shipment consists of flour, cooking oil and sugar.

Suceava – the Romanian refugee front line

Suceava was one of the first cities in Europe to start bracing for a wave of refugees, even before the war had broken out. The city announced it was prepared for the worst on 22 February, with tents and medical aid.

Since then, thousands of people have passed through the county and the city, with Mayor Lungu starting an aid coordination centre. He has also announced that local authorities are negotiating an agreement with the Alliance française, an international language organisation, to coordinate further shipments into Ukraine.  

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