Ukraine: Help during the crisis

Table of contents

A smiling woman holding a relief package

What is the situation like in Ukraine?

A mother and her daughter with a trolley full of relief supplies — Several million people are displaced within the country, such as this mother and her daughter in Kamianske.©Lana Dmytrenko

Ukraine: Millions of people need humanitarian aid

War has been raging in eastern Ukraine since 2014. Fighting between Russian troops and Ukrainian forces in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions has since killed scores of people or driven them from their homes.

In February 2022, the conflict escalated when Russia launched a large-scale war of aggression on Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion, the situation has become increasingly tense throughout the country. In particular, cities in southern and eastern Ukraine such as Kharkiv, Mariupol, and Kherson have been severely affected by the fighting. Several thousand Ukrainians have already fallen victim to the fighting, including civilians.

The number of people fleeing the violence is increasing by the hour. So far, more than 7.9 million people have taken refuge outside Ukraine, including many women and children. A large number of them are seeking refuge in neighboring countries such as Poland, Moldova, Hungary or Romania. More than 5.9 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced within the country. Humanitarian aid is urgently needed.

How is Help providing support in Ukraine?

A Help employee hands a relief package to a woman — We help displaced families, for example by distributing hygiene items and food.©Lana Dmytrenko

Emergency aid for families in need

Currently, we are distributing food packages, hygiene items and hot meals to refugees and other people affected by the war. We provide psychosocial support, strengthen local medical care and provide information on safe spaces, evacuations and general protection measures.

In the spirit of helping people to help themselves, we support families with financial aid, for example for accommodation costs. We also provide farmers with feed, veterinary medicine and fuel so that they can maintain their production.

In addition, we provide medical and social assistance to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova, for example by sending mobile medical teams and caring for children in refugee shelters.

Help provides winter aid in Ukraine

The current winter in Ukraine is a great challenge for the population. In many places, the infrastructure has been severely damaged by fighting, including heating systems, electricity and water pipes.

In many buildings, the windows have been destroyed by missiles and no longer offer protection from the icy cold. In addition, the extremely high energy prices are unaffordable for many families. Help is therefore currently providing comprehensive winter relief measures to help 383,000 people survive the harsh winter.

Help has been working in Ukraine since 2021 to create new perspectives and better living conditions for displaced people and other disadvantaged groups. Due to Russia's attacks, we are now devoting our full attention to emergency aid throughout the country.

A Ukrainian boy in front of a destroyed house — This winter, the need in Ukraine is increasing again.

Donors and partners: ADH (Aktion Deutschland Hilft), AA (Auswärtiges Amt), Stiftung der Deutschen Lions, NAK-karitativ, Dohle Stiftung, King Baudouin Foundation

Local partners in Ukraine and Moldova

Photos: How we support Ukraine

Zwei ältere Damen stehen vor einem Hilfspaket

Helfer:innen packen Lebensmittelpakete in Dnipro

Help-Mitarbeiterin Nelia Surus im Gespräch mit einem Bauern aus Lubny

Zwei Krankenhausmitarbeiter in Charkiw nehmen eine Medikamentenlieferung von Help an

Zerstörtes Gebäude in der Ukraine und Blume

Eine Psychologin unterhält sich mit einem Mädchen

Ein Bauer erhält ein Hilfspaket von Help

Zwei Kinder sitzen auf Matratzen in einem Wohnzimmer

Zwei Köchinnen in einer Suppenküche in Saporischschja

Vier Frauen beantworten Anrufe in einem Callcenter

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Facts and Figures

Figures about the Ukraine

Since the outbreak of the war, 7.9 million people have left the country as refugees.
1.46 million people were registered as internally displaced before the war began, 51 per cent of them in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
As a result of the Russian invasion, the number of IDPs increased to around 5.9 million.
Since February 24, 2022, 7,068 civilians have been killed and 11,415 injured.
17.6 million people in Ukraine are dependent on humanitarian aid.

Source: UNHCR, ReliefWeb, United Nations

Status: 26 January 2023

Facts about Help in Ukraine

Help is currently providing emergency aid for victims in Ukraine and for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova.
In Ukraine, we are active in sixteen oblasts: Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Zaporizhzhya, Sumy, Transcarpathia, Cherkassy, Chernihiv and Vinnytsia.
We distribute food, water, hygiene articles and hot meals.
Help offers medical and psychological support through our partners.
We support families with financial aid that they can use for accommodation costs.
We offer psychosocial support and provide information on safe spaces, evacuations and general protection measures.
Help supports farmers with feed, veterinary medicine and fuel.
We are currently providing winter relief for over 383,000 people.

Status: 01/2023