UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visits Moldova

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the international community must do more to help Ukraine’s neighbors. He met with refugees in Moldova.

Guterres visited a refugee camp funded by a local city council. It is operating on a limited budget, and residents are chipping in to deliver food and other necessities themselves.

Guterres said this tragedy demonstrates that war is senseless and that the war must stop and that there is no military solution to the problems we are facing.

He added that it is impossible to meet refugees and not be deeply moved by their stories.

Guterres spoke with Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita and other lawmakers. He thanked them for their generosity.

UN officials say nearly 6 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries since the invasion began. Moldova has accepted 450,000 of them. That figure represents about 17 percent of its population, despite it being one of Europe’s poorest countries.

Officials in Japan and the US have offered aid. However, Guterres said it is not enough. He said Moldova needs and deserves “massive support to match its generosity and to preserve stability.”