The heartbreaking road to safety for a Ukrainian mother and her child

The refugee car line to cross the border into Romania at Isaccea stretches for miles. Husbands and fathers part with their families at the ferry, not knowing when they will see them again.

ROMANIA, Isaccea, March 4, 2022 - When Vira, 37, crossed the border at Isaccea with her four year old son Platon, they had been on the road for over a day and a half.

“It was a long journey. It's a big line at the border, a lot of small children with mothers and no husbands. The line was very slow… two meters in half hours. Maybe we stayed even one hour without moving. But Platon was good. I was afraid he would cry or… ”

Vira’s father drove them in his work minivan and Platon slept in his child car seat. “He was comfortable. The worst part now is my father going home alone. He didn't sleep the whole night,” says Vira, who hasn’t got much sleep either.

They had made plans for her cousin from Bulgaria to come pick them up. They came and waited but Vira took so long to get there, that they returned home and decided she would spend one night in Romania with friends and join them the next day.

Thousands of mothers and children cross the Danube daily on the ferry at the Isaccea refugee transit point since the conflict started. Romanian authorities have organized to expedite the processing of documents, medical assistance, travel arrangements and accommodation if needed.

Up to 200 people can sleep on site in heated tents until documents are processed, but almost everyone is on their way in under two hours. All the facilities are sanitized before refugees get on the ferry. Scores of volunteers offer hot meals, snacks, toiletries, toys and clothes.

Platon is offered wafers and chocolates, but Vira is thoughtful about how much sugar to give him. He plays with his tractor toy as they wait for Vira’s friend to pick them up. Next to their suitcases, his mother gets a moment to rest and reflect on the last few days.

“My husband is working abroad on a ship. I don't know how he can manage to go back home. I decided to leave because I want us to be together, I want Platon to see his father. It was a hard decision. I remember my mother’s face. She was crying out loud. She went out of the house. She didn’t want me to see this. The second thing I will never forget is my father's eyes when I left him at the border. It was the second time I saw him crying. His eyes were red. It's tearing me apart. It's like big pieces of your heart are just falling down. I don’t know when I [will] see them, when I will hold them again. Platon loves them. Nobody should suffer like that”, says Vira.

The conflict in the Ukraine is threatening the lives of 7.5 million children, many of whom are now refugees and need help to get to safety with their mothers.