ICRC Update: Armed conflict in Ukraine, after two years

SITUATION ON THE GROUND

'The struggle we are witnessing in rural and front line communities is immense. The ICRC is one of few humanitarian actors able to assist communities in hard-to-reach areas, but this is not enough' - says Jurg Eglin, ICRC’s Head of Delegation in Ukraine.

It has been two years since the escalation of the international armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, and the consequences remain devastating, with countless civilian deaths and injuries, and severe damage to critical civilian infrastructure. Around 3.6 million people remain displaced within Ukraine and around 6.4 million people have fled to other countries.

As the fighting continues, humanitarian needs continue to mount. There is a shortage of food, water, and medicine. Health services are struggling with limited resources and influxes of patients. Tens of thousands of families have lost contact with their loved ones. Many people have no news of relatives who have become separated from them.

People in Ukraine are suffering the long-lasting adverse effects of living in, returning to, or passing through areas contaminated with landmines, unexploded shells and other explosive remnants of war, making the country one of the most contaminated battlefields in the world.
All this is taking an overwhelming emotional toll on the population, especially children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and the wounded and sick.

THE ICRC’S RESPONSE

Since the international armed conflict escalated in February 2022, the ICRC has conducted various activities to protect and assist the people bearing the brunt of the crisis in Ukraine, in bordering countries and in the many places around the world where people who have fled from violence have settled. This response is in line with our mandate under IHL and our role as a neutral intermediary between the parties to the conflict.
In 2023, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we achieved the following and more:

* Supported around 36 primary health-care facilities and hospitals with medicines and medical equipment to treat the wounded and sick, including
those in areas close to front lines
* Provided more than 9,000 Prisoners of war and other people deprived of their liberty with winter clothes, blankets and medical items such as glasses, crutches and
wheelchairs to ease their conditions
*Helped ensure that some 300,000 people in conflict-affected areas had something to eat by providing them with food parcels;
*Supported some 350,000 people with cash for meeting their daily needs and providing for their families;
* Assisted at least 183,000 families to cover urgent needs and maintain dignified
living conditions by donating hygiene supplies and other essential household items;
* Helped more than 9,000 children resume or continue their education by providing school kits and learning items;
* Helped over 4.8 million people to have better access to essential services such as water, heating and electricity, by providing support to utility service providers;
* Trained more than 1,000 authorities and weapon bearers in IHL, international human rights law.
Whilst the needs are immense, we can address them by acting together. We will continue to do our utmost to help protect and assist people affected by the international armed conflict and beyond.