With no let-up for war-affected Ukrainians, UN launches humanitarian and refugee plans to respond in 2024

Author UNHCR and OCHA  |  15 Jan 2024

Kyiv, UKRAINE. 13 December 2023. On the night of 12 December, another airstrike on Kyiv has left dozens of civilians injured, including children, and damaged critical infrastructure in at least four of the capitals 10 districts. This was the third attack on Ukraines capital in less than a week. The attack damaged many homes, a hospital and a kindergarten, according to humanitarians on the ground. Water and electricity systems were also hit, although the authorities managed to quickly restore these vital supplies. Humanitarian organizations have rapidly mobilized emergency assistance to the affected civilians, distributing blankets and hot meals for over 400 people, psychosocial and medical assistance, legal support, in addition to registering those impacted by the attack for cash assistance. Humanitarians also installed two warming points so people could shelter and be protected against the cold temperatures, complementing the efforts of the authorities to find accommodation to people whose houses were damaged. ©UNOCHA/Viktoriia Andriievska

(Geneva, 15 January 2024): The United Nations and partners today asked donors for a combined US$4.2 billion to support war-affected communities in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees and their host communities in the region throughout 2024.

Nearly two years since the war’s rapid escalation, 14.6 million people need humanitarian assistance in Ukraine – a staggering 40 per cent of the population. Some 6.3 million people have fled the country and remain refugees, mostly across Europe.

A recent wave of attacks underscores the devastating civilian cost of the war, while a bitter winter is ratcheting up the urgent need for life-saving humanitarian aid.

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