The IRC launched an emergency response to the crisis in Ukraine in February 2022, working directly and with local partners to reach those most in need. As of December 2023, temperatures continue to drop, and the ability to deliver aid amid constant shelling is severely impeded. According to OCHA, nearly 70 civilians have reportedly been killed, and at least 360 injured due to airstrikes across the country since December 29. Countless people in Ukraine today do not have access to water and electricity, as official data indicates that damages to energy infrastructure have left over 440 towns and villages without power supplies.
The IRC’s response to the crisis demonstrates our unique approach as a major international humanitarian aid organization and a global resettlement agency, covering the entire arc of crisis—from providing timely, life-saving assistance to those impacted by the conflict to supporting those fleeing through resettlement in countries around the world.
At the start of the crisis, the IRC was already operating in neighboring Poland to monitor the rising tensions and assess the urgent needs of those affected. In the first week of the crisis, we partnered with local organizations to bolster their efforts and scale up our response at record speed. By March, more than 830,000 people had fled the Ukraine borders in search of safety, with IRC well positioned to create new homes, routines, and support networks across 10 countries of refuge. Our wide-reaching network of experienced staff and partners have reached over half a million people since the start of the conflict to restore the health, safety, education, economic well-being, and dignity of those who have lost nearly everything.
The IRC is scaling up its humanitarian response as several cities in Ukraine, where the IRC operates, have come under heavy shelling. We strongly condemn the attacks that not only result in massive loss of life and senseless civilian suffering but also exacerbate the already dire needs in the region. The IRC is scaling up financial assistance to support people suffering from intensified waves of shelling and running psychosocial and legal support activities across the region.
Despite rapidly changing contexts, the IRC continues to turn the generosity and compassion of our supporters into quick, adaptive and effective action that protects the lives and dignities of those affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine—wherever they are in the world.
Today, your critical funding is helping reach people impacted on all fronts. Your support combined with other generous donors is providing vital aid to families displaced inside Ukraine, to people who have sought refuge in neighboring countries, and to refugees seeking resettlement in broader Europe and the United States.
Photo credit: Imago/Pacific Press Agency
