Ahead of winter: UNHCR will provide assistance to help the most vulnerable people in frontline regions get through the cold season

As millions of Ukrainians prepare for the fourth winter since the full-scale invasion began, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is preparing to deliver critical assistance to help vulnerable households remain warm during the harsh months ahead.

This winter, UNHCR’s response aims to help more than 389,000 war-affected people with specific vulnerabilities, including older people, people with disabilities, people with chronic illnesses and internally displaced people hosted in collective sites. The focus is primarily on people remaining in frontline areas of eastern and northern Ukraine, where the harsh winter season is compounded by war-damaged homes, disrupted power infrastructure, and limited access to critical services.

"Preparing for winter means helping families stay resilient. They have endured so much already. By providing cash assistance, heating support and shelter repairs, UNHCR works so that the most vulnerable people make it through the winter in dignity and warmth," said Alexander D. Mundt, Acting UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.

UNHCR’s winter response programme, which is part of a larger inter-agency winter plan, aims to complement the Government efforts to support people in advance of winter. UNHCR, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Policy and the Pension Fund of Ukraine, will provide cash assistance to help families cover winter-specific needs such as solid fuel, warm clothing, and other essentials – prioritizing those who live within 20 km of the frontline or border areas.

Last winter, UNHCR helped over 250,000 vulnerable people with cash assistance for seasonal needs. A survey amongst the receiving households showed that their top need was heating, and so 88% of the households spent the money on