Two women, a middle aged woman dressed in a green v-neck sweater and an older, white-haired woman dressed in a floral pattern dress, hug each other and look smiling at the camera.

Ukrainian refugee Nina (right), 83, is pictured with Zinaida, the manager of the UNHCR-supported accommodation centre where she lives in Moldova’s capital Chisinau. © UNHCR/Mark Macdonald

UN and partners appeal for US$3.32 billion in 2025 to support humanitarian and refugee response plans for Ukraine

#InvestInHumanity | #WithRefugees | #Ukraine

KYIV – As the full-scale war in Ukraine approaches its fourth year, the United Nations and partners today launch twin humanitarian and refugee response plans for 2025, appealing for US$3.32 billion to support 8.2 million people affected by the crisis within Ukraine and across borders.

The plans – launched in Kyiv with the Government of Ukraine – outline strategies to address the needs of people whose lives have been upended by the war. They also emphasize the importance of international solidarity to sustain critical humanitarian efforts in 2025.

“I am in awe of the Ukrainian people’s determination to carry on in the face of immense hardship,” said UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher, who just concluded visits to several affected communities across Ukraine. “Those communities are the frontline of the humanitarian response, and they need our support and solidarity as much as ever. Now, we need the international community to get seriously behind these plans so we can show the same sticking power as the people of Ukraine.”

“This is not the time to forget the millions of Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes and, for too many of them, their country,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, returning from a visit to several frontline regions of Ukraine, meeting displaced and war-affected people. “Countries hosting Ukrainian refugees abroad have done incredible work over the last 3 years to provide safety and a sense of normalcy to support these refugees in restarting their lives in their new communities, all the while hoping for conditions to change in Ukraine to allow them to go home. We must continue to sustain this hope.”

Strategies for 2025

Humanitarian organizations inside Ukraine aim to assist 6 million people in 2025 with food, healthcare, shelter, cash assistance, education in emergencies, protection and other vital services. With sufficient funding and access, aid workers can continue delivering help across the country, including in communities close to the front line. The humanitarian community stands ready to reach people in need wherever they are.

Special focus will be given to the most vulnerable groups, including children, older people and people with disabilities, many of whom face isolation and barriers to accessing aid. The Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requires $2.62 billion to address these needs.

Humanitarian actors will support 11 host countries in the region as they extend protection and include more than 2 million refugees in their national systems in 2025 and 2026. This allows refugees to access housing, decent work, health and specialized legal and protection services. Partners will continue helping refugees access social protection and, for the most vulnerable, provide cash for their basic needs, while targeting help for children at risk and survivors of gender-based violence. The appeal is for $690.3 million in 2025, and $1.2 billion for 2025-2026.

Achievements in 2024

Despite challenges in 2024, including underfunding and access constraints, humanitarian partners inside Ukraine provided essential assistance to millions of people:

  • Nearly 3 million people received food aid.
  • Some 5.8 million people, primarily in front-line regions, received water, sanitation and hygiene support.
  • Two million people accessed health and medical services.
  • Millions more were supported with shelter, education, protection services and cash assistance to meet urgent needs.

In the refugee-hosting countries, partners continued to deliver with only one-third of financial requirements covered in 2024. They worked for refugees to find safety, access rights and ensure they were included in national systems.

  • 1 million people received legal counseling, mental health support, services to counter gender-based violence and other protection activities.
  • 330,000 people accessed housing, cash and other in-kind assistance to cover basic needs.
  • 300,000 children at risk received specialized assistance to find safety.

As the world enters 2025, the UN and its partners urge Governments, donors and individuals to contribute to the response plans. The people of Ukraine, both at home and abroad, need the world to stay the course with them to rebuild their lives and preserve hope for a better future.

Resources

Press conference

A press conference with Mr. Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator and Mr. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will be livestreamed on UN WebTV at 14:00 EET (Kyiv) / 12:00 GMT. The launch event is also livestreamed on UN WebTV at 15:00 EET (Kyiv) / 13:00 GMT.

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Originally published by UNHCR on 16 January 2024

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