The information available online to those displaced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine is plentiful, but many of its sources are unreliable and messages can often be contradictory, generating confusion among refugees. Further, authorities in Romania have struggled to centralise and manage relevant resources across the country, and to know where to distribute them to ensure that they are delivered where they are most needed.

A need was therefore identified for a new 'all in one' digital solution; one which provides reliable information and centralises the resources available at both local and national levels. Support was needed from all stakeholders involved in the assistance of refugees from Ukraine, under the coordination of a state authority able to understand, manage, react, and to allocate resources for refugees where and when needed.

People that have been displaced from Ukraine and all those in need of humanitarian assistance, as well as governments at various levels and NGOs.

The platform provides support in the following ways:

• for refugees from Ukraine: official information regarding entry to and stay in Romania, access to humanitarian assistance, accommodation, health care, education, employment, transport and other services.
• for authorities: digital infrastructure for managing the humanitarian crisis and the necessary resources (unacoperis.ro and sprijindeurgenta.ro).
• for NGOs – management tools.

Information on the platform is available in 4 languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian and English, and is regularly updated with verified information sourced from authorities, NGOs, UN bodies and private companies. It covers a variety of topics, including:

• legal status
• information
• support
• accommodation
• education
• health
• employment
• transport
• interpretation

New initiatives related to assistance for those displaced from Ukraine are swiftly integrated into the platform, under existing headlines or in new sections. 

The platform is managed by the Department of Emergency Situations of the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Since launching in February 2022, the platform has been used by over 1.2 million refugees from Ukraine.

The platform was one of the 15 digital solutions awarded the 'Scale Up' prize at the Paris Peace Forum 2022. Reflecting its success, there are plans in place to expand it internationally in 2023.

450 volunteers are involved in delivering the platform, as well as staff of Code for Romania. It is financed exclusively through individual donations and private funds.