It’s been nearly two years since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and while the conflict may no longer dominate our front pages daily, the suffering of Ukraine's people continues. The major attack launched by Moscow in December 2023 comes as a crisis on top of a crisis, and people in Ukraine need your help more than ever.
UNHCR has been working in Ukraine since 1994, alongside local authorities, partners and community organisations providing protection and humanitarian assistance on both sides of the contact line. Along with our partners, we are on the ground, providing emergency shelter, relief items, and legal and psychological support. Continued full-scale war in the country means that people are losing their homes, livelihoods and their loved ones every day. To help those in need, we will stay and continue working in Ukraine and countries hosting refugees from Ukraine for as long as necessary.
We are inspired by the resilience and determination of the people from Ukraine. They have endured more than a year of living in constant fear of air strikes and missiles; a year of dreadful uncertainty about their and their loved ones' safety; a year of terrible deprivation as the economic impact of the conflict has intensified.
The war in Ukraine alone has forced some 8 million refugees to flee to neighbouring countries and over 6 million more people are internally displaced in Ukraine due to fighting. Many having had to leave at a moment's notice, with little more than the clothes on their backs. Sadly, approximately 17.6million people in Ukraine continue to urgently need your support. UNHCR is leading the shelter response in the country, working in close coordination with local authorities, and needs your help to ensure those displaced people are safe from the bombs and the elements.
With support from people just like you, in 2022, UNHCR was able to provide the following to those displaced within Ukraine:
*4.32 million people reached through assistance
*164,000 people received shelter support through interventions in collective centres and damaged homes
*Refurbishment of over 9,300 sleeping places in collective shelters
* 987,300 people received cash assistance from UNHCR to support their basic needs
*1.8million people received non-food items (NFIs), including around 557,000 people in hard-to-reach areas
* Provided protection assistance, including psychosocial support and legal aid to more than 1.2million people
*Provided essential provisions and winter items for over 1.5 million people, including provision of winter cash assistance, shelter insulation and delivery of essential items such as quilts, heathers and clothes.
This was in addition to providing support for those outside Ukraine including:
*Providing over 500,000 Ukrainian refugees information on accessing their rights, such as education, healthcare, assistance for specific needs, accommodation and livelihoods.
*Establishing, in collaboration with other UN Agencies, 39 Blue Dots reaching over 185,600 men, women and children.
*Providing over 476,000 refugees with multi-purpose and protection-specific cash assistance in hosting countries.
*Providing over 315,000 essential winter-related relief items in Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Poland and Romania.
We rely on your generosity to continue providing essential, life-saving relief to people whose lives have been shattered by the war.
Your support continues to make a huge difference to those who have been forced to flee and from all of us at UNHCR, thank you for your solidarity and support.
