The United Nations launches a humanitarian appeal to support millions of Ukrainians affected by the war

The plans – launched today in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, in cooperation with the government – aim to meet the needs of about 8.2 million people. “Their lives were turned upside down.” Because of the war, strategies were developed for this purpose.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher – who is currently visiting Ukraine – said: “I am impressed by the determination of the Ukrainian people to continue in the face of enormous difficulties.” Fletcher had just concluded his first visit as an internationalist to the front lines in eastern Ukraine, where he said that societies need international solidarity more than ever. He added: “Now, we need the international community to seriously support these plans, so we can show the same strength as the people of Ukraine.”

For his part, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who is also visiting Ukraine, said: “This is not the time to forget the millions of Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes and, for many, their country.”

He said that the countries hosting Ukrainian refugees had done tremendous work over the past three years “to provide safety and a sense of normalcy to support these refugees in restarting their lives in their new communities, all while hoping that conditions in Ukraine would change to allow them to return home.” He added: “We must continue to support this hope.”

Humanitarian action strategies

Humanitarian organizations inside Ukraine aim to help six million people in 2025 by providing food, healthcare, shelter, cash assistance, emergency education, protection and other vital services.

Particular focus will be placed on the most vulnerable groups, including children, older people and people with disabilities, many of whom face isolation and barriers to accessing aid. The humanitarian response plan inside Ukraine requires $2.62 billion to meet these needs.

As for the refugee response, humanitarian actors aim to support 11 host countries in the region that expand protection and include more than 2 million refugees into their national systems in 2025 and 2026. This allows refugees to access housing, decent work, health, legal services and specialized protection.

UN partners will continue to help refugees access social protection, provide cash for basic needs to the most vulnerable groups, and assistance to vulnerable children and survivors of gender-based violence. The value of this response is $690.3 million in 2025, and $1.2 billion for 2025-2026.

In a joint press statement, OCHA and UNHCR urged governments, donors and individuals to support response plans. The two UN agencies said: “The people of Ukraine, both at home and abroad, need the world to continue to engage with them to rebuild their lives and maintain hope for a better future.”