• UNHCR hails Romanian Salvos

Majors Ionuts and Roxy Sandu, divisional leaders in Romania, with Pablo Zapata, UNHCR Romania representative.

BY SIMONE WORTHING

On International Refugee Day earlier this month (20 June), The Salvation Army’s Romania divisional leaders, Majors Ionuts and Roxy Sandu, joined representatives from the UNCHR, a range of humanitarian agencies and members of the diplomatic community at RomExpo Exhibition Centre in the capital, Bucharest, to mark the day.

The Salvation Army has been active at RomExpo since March 2022, as part of an international response to assist Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s full-scale war in their country. This response included distributing hundreds of thousands of vouchers for food, clothing, school supplies and other essential items for children. They also assisted with sorting clothing and food, as well as providing support to refugees through the Romanian corps.

Australian officer Major Darren Elsley (seated, right) served at RomExpo on the project.

This project has been recognised as best practice and implemented in other countries of the Eastern Europe Territory – Bulgaria, Georgia and Moldova.

Two Australian officers – Major Darren Elsley and Major Drew Ruthven – were also deployed to the response in RomExpo as part of The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services team.

UNHCR’s Chief Field Officer in Romania, Danielle Beasley, thanked The Salvation Army for their ongoing work and support for Ukrainian refugees.

At the Refugee Day gathering, UNHCR Chief Field Officer in Romania, Danielle Beasley, thanked The Salvation Army for their longstanding and consistent work and collaboration over the past three and a half years.

“Afterwards, delegates from various embassies and other organisations stopped by our stand to greet us and express their gratitude, led by Mr. Pablo Zapata, UNHCR Romania representative,” said Major Ionuts Sandu, Divisional Commander in Romania.

“Similarly, both on the stage and in front of the cameras, Cosmina Siminean, Director of Social Services Bucharest Municipality, described the work we do and its importance. She explained that The Salvation Army was the first organisation she started working with at RomExpo, and the only one still involved with the project.

“She said that, only by ‘working together, we bring hope’ to those fleeing war.”