Ukraine emergency

The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has caused civilian casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure, forcing millions of people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance. Millions of refugees from Ukraine have crossed borders into neighbouring countries, in addition to those displaced inside the country. They are in urgent need of protection and support. 

Over 17 million people in Ukraine require urgent humanitarian support, including more than 5 million people internally displaced by the war. As of June 2023, 6.3 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded globally.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has been working in Ukraine since 1994, alongside local authorities, NGO partners and community organizations to deliver protection and humanitarian assistance to people in need.   

UNHCR staff are present across Ukraine and are committed to stay and deliver assistance whenever and wherever access and security allow. Our teams have expanded their operations further to the east and south to hard-to-reach and recently retaken areas where the needs remain acute, as conditions allow. 

We are delivering aid and support to people forced to flee.  Inside Ukraine, the needs remain enormous, with more than 17 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNHCR is working with local and international partners to deliver cash and in-kind assistance to war-affected civilians, giving emergency shelter repair kits to those with damaged homes, carrying out housing repairs, and providing legal support and psychological counselling for those suffering the trauma of war. This year alone, UNHCR and partners have provided assistance to some 1.4 million people in need in Ukraine.

In neighbouring countries, the war has prompted an unparalleled outpouring of solidarity and support across states, within host communities, and among families who have opened their doors or donated time and resources to welcome refugees from Ukraine. UNHCR is leading the coordination of almost 250 partner organizations, including UN agencies and national and international NGOs, as part of the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) in support of Governments’ responses.

UNHCR together with UNICEF, authorities and partners have established a network of Blue Dot Safe Space, Protection and Support Hubs in key refugee-hosting areas. Blue Dots provide a safe space, as well as support and referrals for health care, education, psychosocial assistance and more. Blue Dots bring together critical protection services and information for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, with a particular focus on children and those at greatest risk, including unaccompanied and separated children, persons with disabilities, cases of suspected trafficking, survivors of sexual or gender-based violence and refugees from the LGBTIQ+ community. 

We remain firmly committed to protect and help all affected populations in Ukraine and countries in the region. The response of donors from both the private and public sectors, as well as the hospitality that refugees have received from neighbouring countries, is outstanding – but even more support is needed to provide people forced to flee with the assistance they need to recover from their trauma and start to rebuild their lives.