Dopomoha is an information and support platform launched in February 2022 to assist Ukrainian refugees arriving in Romania following the Russian Federation’s unprovoked military operations in Ukraine. The platform provides verified information on documentation, rights, procedures, and access to resources, facilitating safe entry, resettlement, and integration.
Map
Dopomoha
General Information
ISIG
Open source platform developed to support asylum seekers
Since the start of the war, residents of Ukraine have been subjected to indiscriminate attacks and forced to flee their homes. Refugees arriving in Romania faced urgent needs for shelter, legal guidance, medical care, education, and integration services. Member States mobilised resources to support refugees, highlighting the need for a centralized, accessible platform to coordinate information and resources effectively.
Needs Addressed
The platform addresses the lack of centralized, verified, and easily navigable information for Ukrainian refugees, connecting them to essential services such as housing, medical care, education, transport, employment, legal support, and psychosocial services. It also provides a channel for Romanian residents, NGOs, and authorities to offer verified resources.
Ukrainian refugees, including women, children, and individuals with health concerns or disabilities.
The platform was developed under a multi-level governance model, combining state authorities, international organizations, NGOs, and civic tech actors to ensure coordinated refugee support and innovation.
Romania demonstrates an organised_response level of preparedness. The country has a formal disaster risk management system coordinated by the Department for Emergency Situations within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with established procedures for emergency planning, response, and coordination with international partners.
Romania's disaster response infrastructure is evaluated at a developed level. The country has made significant progress in enhancing its emergency preparedness and response systems. Romania has not yet reached the advanced_resilient stage, which would require fully integrated, climate-resilient, and future-proofed infrastructure across all sectors.
The platform aims to empower refugees by providing them with verified, reliable, and easily accessible information on a wide range of critical topics, including legal status, housing, healthcare, education, employment opportunities, transport, and psychosocial support. At the same time, the platform serves as a bridge between resource providers and those in need, allowing public authorities, NGOs, volunteers, and private companies to register and offer verified services or goods.
The platform is a web-based, multi-functional tool designed to provide comprehensive support to Ukrainian refugees in Romania. It is organized into multiple thematic categories—including Legal Status, Support, Housing, Health, Education, Transport, Jobs, and PTSD help—allowing users to quickly access information relevant to their immediate needs. It offers multi-language access in Ukrainian, Romanian, English, and Russian to ensure inclusivity and accessibility. Refugees can use integrated contact forms to request assistance directly from organizations or volunteers, while an interactive resource map helps locate nearby services, centers, and accommodation options. The platform also provides round-the-clock technical support, available via phone and Microsoft Teams, ensuring that users encountering difficulties can receive immediate guidance and assistance. Overall, the platform combines structured information, direct support channels, and real-time guidance to create a reliable, user-friendly digital hub for displaced populations.
While participants do not make formal governance decisions, their input directly shapes operational and programmatic choices, making the platform responsive and user-centered. Users can submit requests for specific services or resources (i.e. housing, medical support, or legal aid), which are then verified and addressed by authorities, NGOs, or volunteers. In addition, users can provide feedback on the clarity, usefulness, and comprehensiveness of the information available, as well as suggest new services or life events to be included on the platform. Ground workers and implementing organizations review this input to adapt and prioritize features, expand services, and adjust resource distribution, ensuring that the platform evolves in response to the real needs and experiences of its users.
The platform increases long-term resilience and decision-making capacities by equipping refugees with the knowledge, tools, and guidance needed to navigate complex systems in a new country. Users gain the ability to make informed, timely decisions that directly affect their well-being and integration thorugh verified information on important matters such as legal rights, housing, healthcare, education, employment, and safety. The platform also enables practical engagement, allowing users to connect with support networks.
Hazard Type
Geographical Scope - Nuts
Geographical Scope
Population Size
Population Density
Vulnerable Groups
Governance
Emergency Preparedness
Infrastructure Readiness
Engagement Level
Empowerment Level
Implementation
- Emergency Support Platform for integrated resource management.
- Multi-language, intuitive, and user-friendly digital platform.
- Verified resource matching for housing, transport, jobs, medical and social support.
- Open-source solution (MPL-2.0 license) with rapid development, launched one week after repository creation.
- Integration with “A Roof” for accommodation search and management.
- Continuous evaluation and feature adaptation based on user feedback.
- 24/7 tech support and assistance for platform users.
- PTSD support app integrated with the platform
Ukrainian, Romanian, English and Russian
The initiative is created by Code for Romania in partnership with the Department for Emergency Situations, UNHCR, IOM, and the Romanian National Council for Refugees
The initiative brings together Code for Romania’s expertise in developing digital solutions for crises, the Department for Emergency Situations’ role in national disaster management, the global support of the United Nations Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration, and the Romanian National Council for Refugees’ experience in asylum and integration, ensuring a solid and well-coordinated response for refugee.
Other actors involved are volunteers, NGOs, private companies, and public authorities.
- Conduct rapid needs assessment of Ukrainian refugees.
- Develop multi-language, user-friendly digital platform with key support categories.
- Integrate and coordinate with partner organizations for content and resource verification.
- Verify resources offered by authorities, NGOs, volunteers, and private entities.
- Rapidly launch the platform to provide immediate access.
- Provide 24/7 technical and user support.
- Collect feedback from users and ground workers for continuous updates.
- Maintain the platform permanently with updates and management by authorities and partners.
Based on the platform’s development and operation, which involved Code for Romania, government authorities, international organizations, NGOs, volunteers, and technical teams, as well as ongoing maintenance and support, the required resources can be assessed as a sustainable mix of internal and external resources. This includes human resources (technical staff, volunteers, and coordinators), technical resources (digital infrastructure, platform development, and IT support), and financial resources (funding from partners and supporting organizations).
Specific information on the detailed implementation phases is not available. However, the platform was launched just 48 hours after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, reflecting an extremely rapid response to the urgent needs of incoming refugees. Since its launch, the platform has been continuously updated and improved based on user feedback and ground-level insights, ensuring that services, information, and resources remain relevant, verified, and responsive to the evolving needs of displaced populations.
Experience of the Implementing Organisation in DRM
Target Audience
Resources Required
Timeframe & Phases
Participation Results
The main challenge that a platform such as Dopomoha faces is about responding to evolving refugee needs. For this reason, continuous adaptation of platform features and information were made based on feedback from refugees and ground workers. Additionally, the platform was developed and deployed extremely quickly in response to an urgent humanitarian crisis, just days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This rapid deployment was made possible by the Code for Romania War Task Force, a specialised volunteer team experienced in emergency digital solutions.
The Dopomoha platform can be assessed under a targeted adaptation level. Common risks include misinformation, unverified resources, digital literacy barriers, high demand exceeding platform capacity, and evolving refugee needs. Mitigation strategies implemented include: verification of resources before listing, multi-language support, 24/7 technical assistance, continuous feedback loops from users and ground workers to update content and features, and integration with trusted partner organizations to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Risk & Mitigation Plan
Scalability and Sustainability
The Dopomoha platform is maintained continuously through a combination of governance oversight and operational management. The Department for Emergency Situations of the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs oversees the platform’s strategic management, ensuring that the information remains accurate, verified, and aligned with official regulations. Operationally, the platform is supported by a dedicated team that updates content regularly, integrates new features based on user feedback, and manages technical issues. Volunteers and implementing partners, including NGOs and international organizations, contribute to monitoring and verifying resources, while 24/7 technical supportensures users can report issues or request guidance at any time. T
The platform’s structure, open-source design, multi-language access, and verified resource-matching model could be adapted for other refugee or displaced populations.
The platform combines digital technology with innovative service delivery to support refugees holistically. Its intuitive, multi-language interface and interactive resource-matching system ensure users can easily access and request services. Integration with accommodation management systems streamlines housing support, while the open-source design allows rapid adaptation to new contexts. Beyond technology, innovation is reflected in the agile deployment by the War Task Force, the use of real-time user feedback to improve functionality, and the integration of a PTSD management app, demonstrating a creative approach to combining information, support, and psychosocial care in one platform.
Information on direct costs are not available.
Information on direct costs are not available.
Timely, reliable, and verified information is critical for displaced populations. Rapid digital solutions, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and continuous feedback loops enhance platform effectiveness.