Norwegian support brings warmth to homes in Moldova
This winter, more than half of Moldova’s households received help with heating costs through a scheme supported by Norway. Moldova is one of Europe’s poorest countries, and the war in neighbouring Ukraine has driven energy prices sharply upward.
Elena has received support to heat the house where she lives with her husband and their six children.
In a village in northern Moldova, Elena’s family keeps warm with a wood-burning stove. Like most Moldovan households, they rely on wood and coal as their main sources of heat. The two main rooms of their modest house double as spaces for homework, guitar and dance lessons, and bedtime routines for six children — including a newborn.
"This support is a necessity, not a luxury," says Elena.
The family received between 800 and 1,000 lei per month, equivalent to around 600 Norwegian kroner. Elena’s husband works as a day labourer in the construction industry, but his income is low and irregular, especially during the winter months. Without the support for energy costs, Elena says, she does not know how they would have managed.
"The money helped us through the winter," says Elena.
Fleeing the war in Ukraine
In a house in southern Moldova, another Elena lives with her husband, Aleksei. They are refugees from the Kherson region of Ukraine. When bombs began falling three years ago, they had to flee their home in haste. Within 40 minutes, they packed what they could and crossed into Moldova, where a distant relative offered them a place to stay.
For four long winter months, the couple saved everything they could to stock up on firewood. In March, they were finally able to buy five cubic metres of wood — made possible by the compensation scheme supported by Norway.
"Every single leu has helped us. This support has given us more than just warmth — it reminds us that we are not alone," says Elena.
Elena and Alexei fled from Ukraine to the neighboring country of Moldova. As of March 2025, there were 127,000 Ukrainian refugees in Moldova.
Norway’s contribution
Moldova’s Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund supported 720,000 households between November 2024 and March 2025.
The fund was financed by Moldova’s state budget along with contributions from Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, and Latvia.
Norway contributed 100 million kroner, channelled through the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The Norwegian funding alone provided cash support to nearly 150,000 Moldovan households.
The results stories on the webpage of the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine are based on texts produced and shared by the civilian and humanitarian partners of the programme. The stories represent a snapshot of the results achieved to showcase the difference the Norwegian support is making. Read more stories.