Nearly 1,800 shelters in Moldova; some are unusable, Minister of Internal Affairs
The Republic of Moldova has nearly 1,800 shelters, with a total capacity of over 350,000 people. However, not all of them are prepared to provide protection in an emergency. Minister of Internal Affairs Daniella Misail-Nichitin acknowledged, on the Moldova 1 program "Pe Față" that many of these do not meet minimum safety standards and require repairs and additional investment.
According to an assessment by the General Inspectorate for Emergencies, the country has 1,790 shelters with a total capacity of over 350,000 people. More than 250 of these are designated for civil protection and radiation protection.
Public authorities and private economic entities manage these spaces; however, some require investment to ensure they can be used safely.
"We have various categories of shelters: some are managed by central public authorities, others by local public authorities, as well as by economic entities—that is, the private sector. We have 1,790 shelters in total, over 250 of which are for civil and radiation protection. Unfortunately, not all of them meet minimum standards; additional investment and repairs are necessary," stated Minister Daniella Misail-Nichitin.
When asked about the capacity of these civil shelters, Daniella Misail-Nichitin indicated a figure of "over 350,000."
"Citizens can take shelter in some of them, but not in others. Because there has been no investment for a very long time, they have fallen into disrepair," the Minister explained.
Regarding the facilities available in the functional spaces—such as electricity, water, or unhindered access—the Minister of Internal Affairs said that they provide minimum protection conditions and are equipped with first-aid kits. "Water, of course, is a resource that everyone should have on hand—at the very least, a bottle of water in case something happens," the Minister of Internal Affairs noted.
The authorities are also preparing a rapid public warning system. This system will allow emergency messages to be sent directly to mobile phones and is expected to become operational in 2027, provided the procurement process begins late this year or early next year.
"The MD-ALERT system is a fairly complex mechanism for warning citizens via mobile networks. If we launch the procurement process at the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027, we should have it up and running sometime in 2027". stated Daniella Misail-Nichitin.
In the meantime, an alternative solution could be available as early as the end of this year. Authorities are developing a module integrated into the government’s 'EVO' app, through which citizens can receive alerts about dangers and instructions on protective measures.
This module is being developed by the E-Governance Agency in collaboration with the National Crisis Management Center.
