Moldovan villages more seriously hit by crisis than towns

Moldova has been deeply affected by the world economic crisis, says the Study of the Impact of the Economic Crisis on Poverty and Social Exclusion in Moldova presented in Chisinau on December 11, Info-Prim Neo reports. The study authors mentioned the following negative aspects of poverty in Moldova in the context of the crisis: the impact of poverty on rural areas, which is four times greater than on urban areas; the 6.2% decrease in consumption costs; the social crisis caused by falling remittances and incomes and layoffs. Petrus Wijninga, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Moldova, said that Moldova has been seriously hit by the world economic crisis and the given study shows how the crisis affected and continues to affected the most vulnerable groups of people. He approved of the fact that Moldova's economic recovery and stabilization plan for 2009-2011 focuses on the problems highlighted in the study. The authors say that in the face of increasing layoffs of workers in recession hit sectors (construction and food and beverages sector have already registered a contraction in output and other sectors are expected to follow suit), the economy will see the emergence of increased vulnerable groups / a new category of the ‘new’ poor in view of reduced income /, lack of employment opportunities in the country. The impact on unemployment will be compounded by the return of potentially dozens of thousand returnees. They recommend analyzing the scope and magnitude of the economic crisis on various groups of the population, in view of responding to the impact in a more effective, targeted, pro-poor and inclusive manner. Such an analysis should address the multidimensional aspects of deprivation and inequalities since the expected impact will be beyond income poverty and other material deprivation to also include health, education, housing and child malnutrition outcomes among others. The Study of the Impact of the Economic Crisis on Poverty and Social Exclusion in Moldova was conducted by a group of national and foreign experts with financial support from the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, the International Labor Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund. Representatives of the donor organizations, the NGO sector and the Government attended the presentation of the study.