Crisis overview
The war against Ukraine, ongoing since 2014 and escalating with the full-scale invasion in 2022, continues to inflict widespread devastation and immeasurable suffering on the people of Ukraine. The intensified hostilities and attacks throughout 2024 have sharply increased humanitarian needs, especially near the front line.
In 2025, an estimated 12.7 million people—roughly 36 per cent of Ukraine’s population–-will need humanitarian assistance. Civilians across all regions are affected, with the heaviest impact in the east, south and parts of the north. In areas occupied by the Russian Federation, the situation is worsened by extremely limited humanitarian access. Verified civilian casualties between 2022 and the end of September 2024 reached nearly 39,000, including over 12,000 deaths of which more than 2,400 were children. Actual figures may be higher due to access constraints that make it difficult to verify all reports.
Continual damage to civilian infrastructure has created widespread disruption in critical services. Since the start of the invasion, WHO reported 2,065 attacks on healthcare facilities, severely disrupting health services, as hospitals grapple with limited resources and extensive damage to infrastructure.
Ukraine
Angelina, an evacuee from Myrnohrad Town in the Donetsk Region speaks with Nelia, from OCHA.
OCHA/Viktoriia AndriievskaTargeted attacks on energy infrastructure have drastically reduced the country’s power-generating capacity, disrupting essential services such as water, gas, and winter heating, impacting homes, collective shelters, schools, and health facilities, adding to the country’s hardship.
The war has exacerbated protection risks, displacing millions, destroying livelihoods and depleting coping mechanisms. Civilians on the front-line face harrowing living conditions, which are expected to worsen as winter sets in.
Since the escalation of the war in February 2022, until mid-October 2024, over 6.7 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded—92 per cent of them in Europe—with few prospects for return. Inside Ukraine, an estimated 3.6 million people remain internally displaced, with over 78,000 of the most vulnerable housed in nearly 1,800 collective sites. More people continue to be evacuated and displaced from and within the east and north. With expanded Government-led evacuation mandates and support of national NGOs and humanitarian partners, some of the most vulnerable people have relocated to safer areas, though some vulnerable groups, including older people and those with disabilities, have remained.
Dnipro, Ukraine
Women who fled the war-torn villages of Donetsk now find refuge at a collective site for older people, with support from humanitarian organizations.
OCHA/Viktoriia AndriievskaIn areas occupied by the Russian Federation, an estimated 1.5 million people are in urgent need without adequate support.
Beyond physical destruction, the prolonged war has exposed millions to trauma and psychological distress due to constant uncertainty, fear of attacks and grave protection risks.
While the number of people in need has decreased from 14.6 million in 2024 to 12.7 million in 2025, humanitarian conditions have worsened along the front line and at the northern border. At the same time, access to services has improved in major urban centers like Kyiv and Lviv. This shift underscores the need to prioritize severe needs in and near front-line areas in 2025.
Although some socioeconomic indicators like incomes have shown improvement, significant challenges remain, including rising inflation, driven by higher taxes and increased winter energy demands.
Chasiv Yar, Ukraine
Tetiana and Halyna receive bread provided by humanitarian workers. In 2024, nearly 3 million people received food assistance.
Angels of Salvation NGO/Oleksii GutnykResponse priorities in 2025
In 2025, the humanitarian community will focus on addressing the most severe humanitarian needs, prioritizing people living in the hardest-hit areas along and near the front line and maintaining operational response capacity to meet needs, potentially into 2026.
Recognizing seasonal needs, especially during winter, and the potential for sudden shifts in the context, the humanitarian response will adopt a flexible approach to tackle “emergencies within the emergency”.
A focused approach to assessment and planning will determine the number of people to be targeted with multisectoral assistance in 2025, thereby optimizing resources. Humanitarian assistance will increasingly seek to complement Ukraine's shock-responsive social protection system, adhering to the "Reinforce, Do Not Replace" principle outlined in the Agenda for Humanity. National humanitarian organizations will remain central to the humanitarian response in Ukraine, while international organizations including the UN will complement these efforts. Two strategic objectives will guide the humanitarian response in 2025, ensuring timely and lifesaving interventions:
- Lifesaving emergency assistance: Humanitarians will provide principled, multisectoral life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable internally displaced and non-displaced people affected by the war, ensuring their safety and dignity, especially in areas with severe needs.
- Access to prioritized essential services: Humanitarian partners will work to enable access to essential services for the most vulnerable internally displaced and non-displaced people affected by the war, in areas with the highest levels of need, prioritizing protection, safety and dignity.
Kherson region, Ukraine
A local woman from Kyselivka village receives essential winter support from the Southern Development Strategy NGO, funded by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund. With these fuel briquettes, she and her family will stay warm through the winter.
Southern Development Strategy NGOA variety of delivery methods will ensure aid reaches people affected by war, including those displaced in collective sites in the west and central regions.
Protection activities will be central to the response, with a focus on gender-based violence (GBV), child protection, and services to people with disabilities. Protection efforts will prioritize gender-sensitive approaches, including safe spaces and psychosocial support for survivors of GBV, to ensure dignity and protection for women and girls. Special emphasis will also be placed on integrating mental health and psychosocial support across sectors, given the widespread and increasing trauma inflicted by the continuing war.
Humanitarian access remains a challenge, particularly in areas occupied by the Russian Federation. The humanitarian community will continue to advocate for greater access, to deliver assistance to all people in need, regardless of their location. The humanitarian response will foster linkages with recovery and development strategies, promoting resilience and supporting Ukraine’s long-term recovery.
Kherson region, Ukraine
Humanitarian aid is delivered to the front-line Beryslav community, as part of the ninth convoy to support this war-affected community. In 2024, at least 39 inter-agency convoys delivered life-saving supplies—including food, water, medical supplies, and winter items—to over 66,000 people in some of the hardest-to-reach areas, complementing vital efforts by local volunteer groups and NGOs.
OCHA/Sinaver SeitumerovFinancial requirements
In 2025, humanitarian organizations will require $2.63 billion, reflecting a more targeted approach to addressing severe needs in Ukraine’s eastern, southern, and northern regions.
In alignment with the Grand Bargain commitments and the ongoing prioritization of cash and voucher assistance across the humanitarian system, humanitarian actors will continue to focus on multipurpose cash support in 2025. They will also provide complementary sector-based cash assistance to address severe vulnerabilities not covered by multipurpose cash, while reducing in-kind programming in Ukraine.
Key sectoral needs include:
- Care and maintenance of collective sites: Ensure the safety, dignity, and provision of essential services for internally displaced people (IDPs) in collective sites, with particular attention to winterization and the needs of the most vulnerable.
- Education: Critical education-in-emergencies support will reach war-affected children and teachers living in areas with severe needs.
- Food security and livelihoods: Cash and vouchers will be the preferred form of assistance, with in-kind support reserved for areas where markets are disrupted, and essential goods cannot be supplied.
- Health: Efforts will ensure access to essential medical services, including trauma care, mental health, non-communicable disease management, and reproductive health, particularly for survivors of GBV and pregnant women.
- Protection (overall, including AoRs): Services will include psychosocial care, legal assistance, GBV survivor support, child protection, and mine awareness.
- Child protection: This includes mental health and psychosocial support for children and their caregivers, along with case management.
- Gender-based violence: Psychosocial support for GBV survivors will be provided through both mobile and static services.
- Mine Action: This includes mine clearance and education, addressing the significant threat posed by explosive ordnance, especially in frontline areas.
- Shelter and Non-Food Items: Support for emergency repairs to damaged homes, social facilities and collective centres, as well as winterization and NFI to vulnerable households.
- Water, sanitation and hygiene: Support for repairs and rehabilitation of water, waste water and district heating systems damaged by the war, particularly in frontline areas where access to clean water is critical. This assistance will also include supplying emergency water and hygiene kits.
- Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA): Provision of multipurpose cash assistance to offer flexibility for highly vulnerable people to cover their basic needs with dignity.
- Coordination common services: Coordination services to enable evidence-based, principled humanitarian response and to ensure safe access for the most vulnerable.
- Emergency telecommunications: To extend and maintain secure communications networks and data connectivity services to support coordination among partners, ensuring effective telecommunications for a strong humanitarian response.
- Logistics: To ensure common logistics services for delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Ukraine
2024 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction
Response highlights
In 2024, humanitarian organizations achieved significant results, despite limited funding and access constraints. Over 600 organizations—approximately 70 per cent local NGOs—delivered vital multi-sectoral aid across Ukraine, supporting people close to the front lines and those fleeing hostilities.
By the end of the year, an estimated 8.5 million people will have received at least one form of assistance, with over 60 per cent of those reached being women and girls. Key achievements included:
Water, sanitation and hygiene
Provided essential clean water, sanitation and hygiene support to 5.8 million people, primarily in frontline regions.
Food and livelihood
Nearly 3 million people received food assistance, and 816,477 people livelihood support.
Health
Approximately 2 million people supported with essential health services, medical supplies and emergency medical care.
Shelter and NFIs
Shelter repairs, emergency shelter materials, non-food items, and cash for winter energy and insulation delivered to 1.3 million people, to help vulnerable communities cope with Ukraine’s harsh winter. About 70,000 vulnerable IDPs living in almost 1000 collective sites also received critical assistance.
Protection
Protection services included psychosocial support and legal aid for almost 1.3 million people; child protection services for almost 1.3 million children; mine action programmes reached 1.2 million people; safe spaces and protection from GBV reached up to 500,000 women and girls.
Education
Almost 600,000 school children, parents, and teachers received education resources, primarily through learning devices distributed in remote locations.
Cash
Multi-purpose cash assistance totaling $223.92 million reached 805,552 people, offering flexible support to meet immediate needs and stimulate local economies. This approach enabled families to choose how best to allocate resources and supported market stability in conflict-affected areas.
Logistics
At least 38 inter-agency convoys delivered life-saving supplies—including food, water, medical supplies, and winter items—to over 62,000 people in some hard-to-reach areas, complementing vital efforts by local volunteer groups and NGOs.
Consequences of inaction
Underfunding
Despite notable progress, the humanitarian response in 2024 faced critical limitations due to underfunding and restricted access. As of 25 November, only 61 per cent of the $3.1 billion requested had been received, limiting the ability to meet rising needs and prepare for winter. Underfunding impacts critical areas, leaving people in areas with limited humanitarian presence vulnerable and without aid. Without prioritizing support for water and sanitation systems, health risks could rise, while delayed rehabilitation of collective sites and gaps in mental health and psychosocial support may persist.
Access constraints/impediments, attacks against aid workers/facilities
Access constraints and attacks on aid workers and facilities also hindered operations. By mid-October, nine aid workers had been killed in the line of duty and 40 injured in 2024, mainly within five kilometres of the front line. Humanitarian facilities and assets were frequently hit, with 64 incidents of damage reported. Since the war’s escalation in 2022, at least 23 aid workers have been killed in the line of duty as of end of October) and 80 injured, making Ukraine one of the world’s most dangerous places for humanitarian workers.
In some instances, hostilities forced aid operations to relocate, further limiting aid access to high-risk areas and some of the most vulnerable communities. As well continuous fighting hindered the provision of comprehensive humanitarian aid near the front line. Restricted access also prevented delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people in need in Russian Federation-occupied territories.
Without substantial increases in funding and safe access, millions of Ukrainians remain at risk of inadequate support, particularly in the most conflict-affected regions. The ongoing conflict underscores the urgent need for consistent humanitarian funding and greater protection for aid workers.