A refugee fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine holds her baby as she sits in a tent at the Romanian-Ukrainian border. image via AP. Credit: (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Romania is one of Ukraine’s neighbouring countries where civilians mobilised across social media platforms to host refugees in their homes and offer free hotel accommodation.

According to Romania’s Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciuca, 118,461 Ukrainians have entered Romania since the Russian invasion started. Many have passed through to other countries, but at least 46,435 Ukrainians will be staying in the country, said the Prime Minister.

At the borders, Ukrainians who enter Romania are greeted with hot tea, meals and blankets.

Gigi Becali, a Romanian businessman and politician put in place buses to pick up Ukrainians at the border and offered his hotels and buildings to be used as free accommodation for them.

Romanian civilians have also mobilized across social media to offer their homes to Ukrainian refugees.

Enita Stefan, 21, is one of the Romanians who is hosting four women and five children in his family’s home in Bucharest. He spoke to City News about his decision.

“My mother talked to some local organisations who need people to offer their homes to host refugees. My mother is always emotional when she thinks about the children, so when she heard that four women and five children need a home, she wanted to them at any cost.”

When asked why they decided to do this, he said: “My mother made the decision and no one in our family objected. We all want to support the Ukrainian cause.”

Stefan said his family will be hosting them for about two weeks, as all nine are planning to move elsewhere in the European Union.

When asked if they will cover the extra necessities needed by the Ukrainians, he said: “Absolutely. After all the suffering they endured, I want them to feel the hospitality and make them feel safe and feel the Romanian support for Ukraine.”