‘Never be afraid to ask for help’: Ukrainians scarred by war find space to heal
‘Never be afraid to ask for help’: Ukrainians scarred by war find space to heal
People in Ukraine who have suffered mental stress as a result of the war which continues in their country have found a space to heal in neighbouring Moldova.
“I saw people running away, so I joined them,” recalls 88-year-old Yuri, thinking back to the day he left Ukraine. “I came to Moldova alone, with no family and no children to turn to.”
Most days, Yuri spends time in the courtyard of a Mental Health Community Centre in Chișinău, taking part in therapeutic activities that help him manage his emotions and his loneliness.
“I feel good here, but everything is new to me in Moldova,” he says. “Sometimes it’s fun at the centre. I also talk to people who stay here, but I don’t really have friends. Maybe it’s because I’m already old.” (UN News, New York, 09.10.2025)