Ukraine

The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is driven by severe and multifaceted consequences of the ongoing war, which has led to large-scale displacement and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, creating interconnected needs across multiple sectors.

Defining the crisis shocks, impacts and people affected

The evolving war is the primary shock driving humanitarian needs. Intensified hostilities, shifts in the front line and large-scale attacks have destroyed critical infrastructure, disrupted essential services and caused environmental damage, further increasing vulnerabilities while reducing coping capacities.

Evolution of the war with shifts in the frontline and large-scale attacks

Civilians have suffered severe consequences from intensified hostilities in 2023-2024 as attacks extended beyond front-line areas with growing threats from advanced warfare technologies.¹ Since August 2023, the front line in Ukraine has expanded, notably in Donetska and Kharkivska oblasts. By mid-2024, over half of civilian casualties occurred beyond 10 km from the front line, highlighting the war’s broader reach.² Populations in Donetska, Kharkivska and Zaporizka oblasts have been badly affected, particularly in front-line raions (districts) like Bakhmutskyi and Pokrovskyi.³

Destruction of critical infrastructure and disruption of essential services

Since early 2024, nine large-scale attacks have targeted Ukraine’s energy sector,⁴ with the highest amount of energy infrastructure damaged in Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska, Khersonska and Sumska oblasts.⁵ Rolling blackouts persist, including 12-hour outages in Kyiv,⁶ with winter demand expected to cause an energy shortfall of up to 30 per cent.⁷ Disruptions in the supply of electricity have affected water, gas, sewage and heating systems, posing severe health risks in sub-zero temperatures.

As of May 2024, 58 per cent of front-line hromadas (communities) reported damage to education facilities and 48 per cent to health facilities, while 27 per cent experienced damage to power stations and 15 per cent to water infrastructure, with Polohivskyi Raion suffering the worst destruction.⁸ Attacks on transport and water systems have disrupted supply chains, limiting access to goods and humanitarian aid. By mid-2024, 827 health-care facilities were fully or partially damaged and about 13 per cent faced significant disruptions of power, water or heating, which is particularly dangerous in cold months.⁹ Nearly 3,600 educational institutions have been damaged, with some 371 totally destroyed and power outages are estimated to have cut student learning hours by up to 55 per cent in hard-hit oblasts like Kharkivska and Dnipropetrovska.¹⁰

An estimated 2 million, or 10 per cent of the total housing capacity of Ukraine, has been damaged or destroyed, primarily in Donetska, Kharkivska, Khersonska, Luhanska and Zaporizka oblasts,¹¹ leaving 3 million people in damaged homes and 31 per cent of displaced persons with inadequate housing.¹² Damaged roads, bridges and railways further isolate front-line areas, hindering essential service delivery.

Environmental damage

The war has caused significant environmental damage, including land contamination from unexploded ordnance, fires and industrial pollution. According to the Government, about 139,000 square kilometres of the territory of Ukraine have been affected by the hostilities and require surveys. An estimated 580 square kilometres of land in areas under the control of the Ukrainian Government are surveyed and identified as potentially contaminated due to landmines and requires further clearance,¹³ and 3,000 square kilometres of farmland are not cultivated as a result of landmines and other impacts of the war. There are also risks of air and water pollution from attacks on industrial sites and critical infrastructure, such as the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.¹⁴ Prolonged power cuts disrupt Ukraine’s sewage and water treatment systems with significant health hazards.¹⁵ The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023 caused catastrophic flooding, displacing thousands and damaging extensive areas of farmland, leaving lasting ramifications on protected and forested areas.¹⁶

Impact of the war on people

Displacement

Ukraine faces a large-scale displacement crisis, with half of the internally displaced, mostly from war-affected regions, concentrated in Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska and Kyivska oblasts, and Kyiv City. Some 82 per cent of IDPs have been displaced for over a year¹⁷ while 45 per cent of returnees were displaced for over three months before.¹⁸ Urban areas host the majority of IDPs (44 per cent in large cities, 29 per cent in small towns). The return of displaced people to war-affected areas often presents both opportunities and challenges; returnees are often faced with destroyed homes, non-functional services and immediate needs for shelter, food and basic services.

A significant portion of those who return to unsafe areas or those who remain in conflict zones are older people or those with disabilities.

In 2024, hostilities in Donetska, Kharkivska, Khersonska, Sumska and Zaporizka oblasts drove many people from their homes, with nearly 163,000 people relocated through government-led evacuations between 16 May and 31 October.¹⁹ As the war continues and fighting intensifies, the risk of further evacuation remains high as the front lines continue to shift. Humanitarian partners face difficulties in tracking evacuations, especially self-organized ones, which hinders the provision of information on services and conditions in relocation areas, particularly for vulnerable internally displaced people. Older people and people with disabilities are especially vulnerable, as they face significant barriers to evacuation and heightened risks of isolation without access to essential services.²⁰ Prolonged displacement has worsened economic hardships. Many internally displaced people have lost their jobs, depleted savings and struggle with rising living costs, particularly for rent and utilities. These pressures have led to negative coping strategies, such as sub-standard housing or the sale of assets.

Western and central Ukraine, though less directly affected by hostilities, struggle with frequent airstrikes and pressures from hosting displaced populations. Approximately 79,000 displaced people in 1,800 collective sites – mostly in the west – are living in inadequate shelters, with limited access to services, and relying heavily on humanitarian aid.²¹

Civilian casualties

By the end of October 2024, nearly 39,000 verified civilian casualties, including over 2,400 children, have been recorded since 2022, with over 12,000 fatalities, including 659 children.²² Explosive weapons remain the primary cause of harm to civilians, followed by unexploded ordnance and landmines, which caused over 1,350 casualties, predominantly among men and boys.²³ Farmers have been particularly hit hard, with 128 casualties reported since the escalation of the war.

Physical trauma

Since 2022, there has been a sharp rise in traumatic injuries, including shrapnel wounds, amputations and spinal cord injuries, increasing the need for specialized medical and mental health care, and rehabilitation. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy, approximately 300,000 people have been registered with physical disabilities since the conflict intensified, though the actual number is likely higher. By November 2024, the total number of people with disabilities in Ukraine had risen from 2.7 million to 3 million, straining the health-care system and escalating the need for humanitarian health assistance.²⁴

Mental health

The ongoing war has caused widespread mental health issues, with nearly 10 million people in Ukraine projected to develop a mental health condition and 3.9 million with moderate to severe cases.²⁵ In front-line areas, 32 per cent of surveyed households reported signs of distress among children.²⁶ The burden of mental health remains high, affecting mostly displaced people, returnees, women, people with disabilities and households with a person involved in the war. People who have been displaced and those planning to leave their location were more likely to experience symptoms of depression. Mental health was closely linked to livelihoods, with unemployment and severe coping strategies associated with higher rates of depression.²⁷

Socioeconomic impacts and livelihoods

Prolonged attacks on energy facilities have created an electricity deficit, contributing to a reduction in anticipated gross domestic product (GDP), a loss of jobs and income, and growing poverty. The estimated GDP for 2023 is only 74 per cent of the GDP of 2021 in real terms.²⁸ While unemployment is gradually decreasing, it remains high at 11 per cent as of August 2024.²⁹ Median monthly income dropped from 7,000 hryvna (UAH) (US$184) in 2022 to UAH5,000 ($132) by December 2023, with very low-income households rising from 21 to 30 per cent.³⁰ Livelihoods challenges and financial barriers significantly limit access to essential services like housing, health care and markets, especially among the vulnerable.

Access to markets

While 97 per cent of the population reports full availability of essential food and hygiene products, nearly 75 per cent face financial challenges, particularly older people.³¹ Power outages disrupt retail operations and market access, with front-line areas facing the greatest challenges due to active conflict, damaged infrastructure and safety concerns. Residents in these areas also struggle with shortages of warm clothing and access to health care,³² as well as limited access to banking services³³ and disruptions in telecommunications, further exacerbating their humanitarian needs.³⁴

Vulnerable groups

Internally displaced people account for about 22 per cent of the 16.3 million people who were identified as the most vulnerable people directly affected by the war. This includes nearly one million children and people in collective sites, primarily in western and central regions, where living conditions are inadequate. Nearly half of households in these sites have an older person, many of whom are living with disabilities or chronic illnesses. Women, who make up 64 per cent of the residents in collective sites often serve as primary caregivers and head 97 per cent of single-parent households.³⁵ Displaced households report higher unmet needs for shelter (41 per cent compared to 22 per cent of non-displaced households). Displaced and returnee households also face protection needs such as documentation for new civil status and property ownership for claiming compensation for damaged property.³⁶

Non-displaced war-affected people, including returnees, represent 78 per cent of the 16.3 million people who were identified as the most vulnerable people chronically affected by the war. The majority of the most vulnerable older people or people with disabilities are concentrated near front lines and the northern border with the Russian Federation. Their living conditions are often very poor, with many living in damaged homes with limited access to health care, water and other essentials. They face persistent risks from shelling, landmines and protection incidents. Returnees in eastern and southern regions are particularly vulnerable, often returning to severely damaged areas with little access to services or livelihoods. The needs for housing repair, health care, food and education are urgent, especially in war-ravaged regions. Thousands of children returning from alternative care or areas previously occupied by the Russian Federation remain without parental care and face acute vulnerabilities. The consequences of the war are expanding beyond front-line areas to central and western regions, including Cherkaska, Poltavska and Khmelnytska oblasts, where disruption to services and increased protection risks have left more people vulnerable compared to 2023. Humanitarian access challenges in conflict zones further compound the crisis, leaving many without critical assistance as hostilities intensify.

Severity of needs

Humanitarian needs in Ukraine remain critical, with severe and catastrophic intersectoral conditions affecting civilians, especially in front-line areas and along northern borders in Donetska, Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska, Khersonska, Luhanska and Zaporizka oblasts. There are also sector-specific catastrophic conditions in Cherkaska, Mykolaivska and Sumska oblasts driven by unsafe shelter, disruption to the provision of water and sanitation (WASH), and grave protection issues. Overall, there has been an increase in the severity of humanitarian conditions across all regions, except for Kyiv City and Kyivska Oblast, where there has been a small reduction in the overall severity of needs.

Northern oblasts, such as Sumska and Chernihivska, face worsening conditions due to intensified hostilities, with over 20,000 evacuations since last July. Those unable to leave are increasingly vulnerable to shelling and aerial attacks. Health-care facilities remain under attack and access to critical services is severely limited.

In the south (Odeska and Mykolaivska oblasts), both displaced and non-displaced populations are experiencing severe conditions due to damage to housing, disruptions to health care and limited access to essential services. IDPs face slightly higher levels of deprivation, exacerbated by their displacement.

Needs in Kirovohradska, Khmelnytska, Poltavska and Cherkaska oblasts in central and western Ukraine have escalated from ‘stressed to ‘severe’, particularly in relation to mental health challenges and lack of emergency obstetric care. Conditions in Kharkivska and Sumska oblasts have shifted from ‘severe’ to ‘extreme’, driven by the destruction of infrastructure, barriers to health care and mental health crises.

Populations near front lines and the north-eastern border with the Russian Federation are among the most affected, with 2.9 million people in urgent need of assistance. More than 25 per cent report severe or extreme needs across multiple sectors, particularly in regard to livelihoods and protection. Overlapping health and WASH needs further intensify the challenges in these areas, where health-care infrastructure is often damaged or non-functional.

The western region is facing emerging pockets of heightened needs from populations moving away from conflict zones. The ongoing conflict has not only deepened needs in high-risk areas but also expanded vulnerabilities to previously less-affected regions. Affected people are enduring widespread humanitarian challenges driven by overlapping needs, particularly in livelihoods, protection and health.

People in need

An estimated 12.7 million people in Ukraine need humanitarian assistance, including almost 2 million children. This includes 2.8 million IDPs and 9.9 million non-displaced people who are severely affected by the war, including returnees. The highest concentration of people in need is in the eastern, north-eastern and southern oblasts.

The trend in people in need (PiN)

The number of people in need in Ukraine has dropped by 13 per cent, from 14.6 million in 2024 to 12.7 million in 2025. This decline is primarily due to improved conditions in Kyiv City and Kyivska and Lvivska oblasts, which account for almost three-quarters of the 2 million reduction in people in need. Humanitarian aid and stronger socioeconomic conditions have contributed to this improvement. Additionally, there has been a 10 per cent decrease in internally displaced people and a pronounced demographic shift – notably a drop in registered births coupled with increased mortality in the eastern regions.

Conversely, PiN has risen by 30 per cent in the central regions of Kirovohradska, Poltavska and Cherkaska oblasts – an estimated 895,000 people. This increase is driven by severe impacts on livelihoods, health, protection and WASH services, with urgent needs for economic support, mental health services, housing restoration and winter heating. In the west, the PiN is driven by health and WASH challenges, particularly mental health care and emergency obstetric services. In the north, east and south, protection and shelter needs dominate due to conflict- related damage to housing, limited social services and unsafe living conditions.

Reductions in PiN in Sumska and Kharkivska oblasts result from fewer returns to conflict areas, population decline and improved conditions for non-displaced populations. While overall needs have declined, significant humanitarian challenges persist across these regions.