March 22, 2022
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 22.03.2022, 13:59
REFUGEES — The number of refugees entering Romania from the neighbouring Ukraine through Vama Siret check point, in the north, has been on the decrease for a few days. According to the most recent report, less than 2,000 refugees passed through the check point in 24 hours, half the daily average last week. Many Ukrainians fleeing war now stop in the refugee centres in Cernauti, while a big part of the population is blocked in the besieged cities. Humanitarian organisations are looking for ways to provide people in the affected localities with essential supplies.
UKRAINE –The Ukrainian military claims its forces have retaken the town of Makariv, west of Kyiv, the BBC reports. Also, according to Ukraines ministry of defence, Russian forces have stockpiles of ammunition and food for no more than three days, but the air attacks of the Russian forces seems to have intensified in the last 24 hours. The port city of Mariupol, destroyed by the Russian bombs, continues to be the invaders’ main target. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Ukraine, the number of victims increased in the city of Zhytomyr, where many civilian buildings have been bombarded. The education ministry in Kiev has decided that classes will be held exclusively online. 7.5 million children in Ukraine have been affected by war and 350,000 of them can no longer go to school because their parents decided to take refuge abroad.
INFLATION — The National Bank of Romania is expecting the inflation rate to exceed the estimated level of 11% by mid-year, for reasons such as the rise in the price of fuel, energy and cereals, all of these triggered by the war in Ukraine. In order to keep things in check, the Central Bank may increase the reference rate again. Stay tuned for more on this topic, after the news.
FAKE NEWS – The Romanian Economy Ministry and major retail chains will set up a crisis cell that should react promptly to fake news, such as the news that triggered the sudden and unjustified increase in the fuel prices, Minister Florin Spataru has announced. He has explained that the lack of reaction to such news is likely to affect consumers, producers and distributors alike. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a number of false information has emerged in the Romanian public space, generating panic. Stay tuned for more on this topic, after the news.
VISIT – Polish President, Andrej Duda is today paying a visit to Bucharest, to hold talks with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis. According to the Presidential Administration, the two leaders hold bone-to-one and official talks. Andrej Duda made a working visit to Chisinau on Monday, to meet with the Moldovan President Maia Sandu. He announced that Poland supports Moldova’s bid for the EU and will grant this country a 20-million euro interest-free loan for the management of the wave of Ukrainian refugees entering its territory. Duda also said that, in almost one month of war, over 360,000 Ukrainian refugees entered Moldova, of whom almost 100,000 remained in the country. Maia Sandu asked her Polish counterpart to support the opening of the EU market for the Moldovan products which can no longer be exported to the east due to the war.
CORONAVIRUS – Almost 2,240 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours have been reported in Romania, by 150 cases more than a week ago. Also, 12 related deaths have been reported. 3,000 people are treated in hospital, of whom 455 are in intensive care. In Romania, all Covid restrictions were lifted from 9th March. (EE)
