Ukraine

Situation Report

Highlights

  • Indiscriminate attacks on Ukrainian populated areas spiked in December, highlighting the persistent pattern of civilian death, destruction and humanitarian needs throughout 2023.
  • Attacks impacting energy infrastructure left millions in Ukraine without power amid freezing temperatures with heavy snow and strong winds.
  • In 2023, humanitarian partners reached nearly 11 million people with vital aid and services across Ukraine with nearly 70 per cent of the US$3.9 billion requested.
  • Some 107 inter-agency convoys delivered critical supplies to nearly 400,000 people living close to the front line.
  • In 2023, 227 incidents affecting humanitarian operations in the country were reported, with 50 humanitarian workers killed or injured, including 11 killed in the line of duty.
People reached with humanitarian assistance in Ukraine in 2023

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Ukraine

Situation Report

Key Figures

17.6M
People in need
11.1M
People targeted
11M
People reached as of 31 December 2023
3.67M
Internally displaced people
5.97M
Refugees in European countries

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Ukraine

Situation Report

Funding

$3.9B
Required
$2.7B
Received
69%
Progress
FTS

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Contacts

Adedeji Ademigbuji

Public Information Officer

Tanya Lyubimova

Public Information Officer

Ukraine

Situation Report
Analysis
WhatsApp Image 2024-01-24 at 08.34.40 eeaafa93
The building of the National Academy of Legal Sciences hit in Kharkiv by yet another strike. Photo: OCHA/Maka Khazalia

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION OVERVIEW

Heavy and intense bombardments combined with ground fighting continued throughout 2023, resulting in a persistent pattern of civilian death and destruction with serious humanitarian impact. There were more than 47,000 incidents involving armed clashes, airstrikes and other attacks across Ukraine in 2023, an increase of more than 12,000, compared to 2022, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). These incidents caused widespread damage and destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and vital civilian infrastructure, including energy, severely impacting the humanitarian situation. Although no part of the country remained unaffected, people in the east and south bore the brunt of the devastation caused by the war.

In front-line communities, including the territories occupied by the Russian Federation, the humanitarian situation is reaching severe and catastrophic levels. More than 3.3 million people – including 800,000 children – living along the front line require emergency assistance. Access to water, food, adequate shelter, fuel to heat their homes and cook, health, protection and other essential services and supplies, as well as employment and livelihoods is extremely limited, forcing people to depend on humanitarian aid to meet their needs.

In 2023, homes, schools and hospitals continued to be bombed every day, with attacks spiking towards the end of the year. The destruction left nearly 720,000 people in the worst-affected parts of Ukraine with no access to adequate and safe housing, according to the International Organization for Migration. In Khersonska Oblast, for example, nearly 30 per cent of people live in damaged buildings. Access to education remained highly constrained, with almost half of all educational institutions damaged or destroyed in Kharkivska and Khersonska oblasts, and a staggering 80 per cent in Donetska Oblast, according to the Ministry of Education and humanitarian partners. Across the country, only one-third of children are attending clases entirely in-person, while one-third are learning through a mixed in-person and online approach, and another one-third are fully learning online. Access to health was also impacted, with over 1,500 attacks on health care verified by the World Health Organization (WHO) since February 2022. Nearly half of health centres were rendered non-functional in some parts of the east and south.

Millions of people across Ukraine are dealing with mental health issues, rooted in the trauma caused by the war. Nearly 10 million people are estimated to be at risk of or living with a mental health condition, and 3.9 million people are estimated to suffer from moderate to severe symptoms, according to the WHO. Children are particularly affected, with over 1.5 million girls and boys requiring some form of assistance in managing stress, anxiety or other mental health issues, according to UNICEF.

For more information, download the latest Ukraine Humanitarian Situation Snapshot.

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Situation Report
Access

OVERVIEW

In 2023, insecurity caused by a steady stream of bombardments across the country, heavy fighting and hostilities along the front line continued to hamper humanitarian organizations’ ability to deliver aid and services to people impacted by the war in Ukraine. Bureaucratic impediments also affected the humanitarian response. The situation continued to be particularly concerning in areas occupied by Russia, where severe impediments on the movement of humanitarian personnel and supplies and other bureaucratic obstacles made the response extremely limited in scale. Attempts to deliver humanitarian relief across the front line, including after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023, were repeatedly denied by Russian authorities.

By the end of 2023 aid organizations had reported 227 incidents affecting humanitarian operations in the country, averaging four a week. Over 30 of these incidents involved violence against humanitarian personnel, and at least 55 were strikes and attacks causing damage or destruction of humanitarian warehouses, facilities, and assets. These were mainly concentrated in areas where fighting and hostiles were most intense, and humanitarian needs high. In December alone, five NGO warehouses were hit in Khersonska Oblast, damaging tons of relief items. Attacks caused the death of least 15 aid workers and injured another 35. Eleven of the aid workers were killed in the line of duty.

Visa delays, denials and bureaucratic and administrative challenges also impacted aid. In 2023, humanitarian partners reported 20 cases of delays or denial of issuing visas to aid workers, a majority towards the end of the year when the Ukrainian Government started to enforce its requirement for humanitarian staff to apply for visas in their home country. Humanitarian movement within the country also became more restricted in localized areas due to additional regulations and requirements in challenging security contexts or close to international borders. There were 33 incidents involving movement restrictions within the country over the year. Military conscription of humanitarian staff was an additional challenge, with at least 78 cases of aid workers receiving conscription notices in 2023.

The transport blockade by Polish truckers at the Ukrainian-Polish in November and December also impacted operations. The border issues put pressure on humanitarian stock supplies in Ukraine, bringing down the available transportation options and increasing both the transportation cost and time.

For more information, download the Ukraine: Humanitarian Access Snapshot (January - December 2023)

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Situation Report
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Access Incidents and Trends in Ukraine, January-December 2023

Access incidents and trends

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Emergency Response
Inter-agency convoy
Humanitarians are delivering vital winter aid to the people of war-torn Avdiivka, Donetsk Region. Photo: OCHA/Oleksii Shaidenkov

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (JANUARY-DECEMBER 2023)

In December, waves of indiscriminate attacks and vast aerial assaults on Ukrainian populated areas spiked again, highlighting the persistent pattern of civilian death and destruction that generated serious humanitarian needs in Ukraine throughout 2023. Across the country, almost 30 attacks on health care – 25 of them causing damages to facilities – were verified by the World Health Organization in December alone, averaging almost one attack per day. Schools were also hit, mainly in Kharkivska and Khersonska oblasts, where almost half of the educational institutions had already been damaged, and Donetska Oblast, where over 80 per cent of schools had been damaged or destroyed, according to the Ministry of Education. Airstrikes, which steadily increased towards the end of the month, damaged hundreds of homes, primarily in Kharkiv and the capital Kyiv, according to preliminary data from humanitarian partners, and disrupted other critical services, including electricity, power, water and gas. Along the front line, fighting and hostilities also continued, worsening the humanitarian situation for hundreds of thousands of people already facing severe needs.

Humanitarian partners continued to make every effort to support people impacted by the war . By the end of the year, nearly 11 million people – 60 per cent of whom were women and girls, and nearly 20 per cent children – had received vital aid and services. The winter response was a priority in December, when an additional 900,000 people received critical supplies and services, totalling 1.7 million people reached as part of the winter response. Overall, the humanitarian community provided health services and supplies for 7.6 million people; water, sanitation and hygiene services for 6.8 million; food and livelihood support for 4.1 million; cash assistance for 3.9 million; materials for emergency repairs and critical household items, including winter supplies, for 4 million people; and support to continue education for 2.5 million children and teachers. Aid organizations also provided critical child protection services for 3 million children and care givers and other protection services — counselling, legal aid and awareness programmes – to about 2.2 million. Nearly 1.6 million people were reached with services to prevent gender-based violence and assist survivors, while mine action efforts reached 1.2 million people, mostly through mine awareness and risk education activities.

In 2023, 107 inter-agency convoys ensured that critical supplies were delivered for nearly 400,000 people living close to the front line, including 7 in December alone. Throughout the month, three inter-agency convoys reached war-torn communities of Donetska Oblast, and supplies were also sent to Kharkivska and Khersonska oblasts, complementing the regular humanitarian response in these areas and the remarkable work carried out by volunteer groups and humanitarian organizations.

This provision of humanitarian assistance and aid in 2023 was possible due to strong donor support and the efforts of almost 600 humanitarian organizations, of which over 400 were national NGOs. Almost 70 per cent of the total US$3.9 billion was received for the humanitarian response. In 2023, the United States was the largest donor, contributing over $1 billion for the response, followed by Germany ($345 million), the European Union ($331 million), Japan ($171 million) and Norway ($168 million).

For more information, download the Ukraine: Humanitarian Response and Funding Snapshot (January - December 2023)

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Ukraine

Situation Report
Visual

People reached with humanitarian assistance from January to December 2023, by Cluster

People reached with humanitarian assistance from January to December 2023, by Cluster

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Situation Report
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People reached with humanitarian assistance in Ukraine from January to December 2023, by oblast

People reached with humanitarian assistance from January to December  2023, by oblast

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Situation Report
Emergency Response
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With the support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, NGO Proliska provides social transportation support for the residents of front-line and border communities in Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions. Photo: NGO Proliska

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE IN NOVEMBER 2023

In November, several attacks impacting energy infrastructure, coupled with heavy snowfall and strong winds, affected swathes of Ukraine, leaving millions of people without power amidst freezing temperatures. The harsh weather particularly affected the east and south of the country – the worst impacted by the devastation caused by the war. This put pressure on the already overstretched emergency services, and created additional risks for families whose houses are damaged or ill-prepared for the winter in areas where access to heating, water, gas, electricity and winter supplies is limited. Attacks directly harming civilian infrastructure also continued to generate humanitarian needs in the east and south, particularly in Donetska and Khersonska oblasts, where hospitals and schools were hit, and health workers and patients injured, according to humanitarians on the ground. In Odeska Oblast, strikes impacting grain and port facilities were reported again, although not as intense if compared with the repeated attacks reported from end-July to September.

Humanitarian organizations in Ukraine stepped up efforts to support people ahead of the winter. By the end of November, aid organizations had reached 800,000 people with specific winter supplies and services, nearly 500,000 more than what was reported the previous month. This included solid fuel and cash for fuel to ensure heating for nearly 490,000; winter clothes for 82,000 people; thermal blankets, bedding and other critical winter supplies for 82,000 people; insulation of homes for 3,000 people, among other activities. Overall, more than 10.5 million people had received vital humanitarian assistance in Ukraine by the end of November. Over 60 per cent of the people assisted were women and girls, and nearly 20 per cent were children.

Aid organizations continued efforts to reach people close to the front line, where needs are most acute, including through inter-agency convoys. In November alone, inter-agency convoys delivered critical aid for people in war-torn Chasiv Yar and Kurakhove, in Donetska Oblast; Prymorske and Tavriiske in Zaporizka Oblast; and Kivsharivka, Kupianskyi Raion of Kharkivska Oblast. So far in 2023, humanitarian partners delivered 100 convoys of supplies to nearly 387,000 people in front-line communities.

In November, 10 more humanitarian organizations reported activities under the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, bringing the number of partners supporting people impacted by the war to 550. Over 65 per cent of them are with national NGOs.

Funding for the humanitarian response plan stood at 56.3 per cent – about US$2.2 billion – of the total $3.9 billion requested had been received by aid organizations by the end of November. The United States remains the largest humanitarian donor, contributing nearly half of the total received, followed by the European Union, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.

For more information, download the Ukraine: Humanitarian Response and Funding Snapshot (January - November 2023)

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Situation Report
Emergency Response
Winter response
NGO Medair delivered winter support in border communities of the Sumy Region exposed to the impact of shelling. Photo: Medair/Paul Itkin

WINTER RESPONSE

The onset of winter conditions in Ukraine brought a new dimension to the grave humanitarian crisis in a country where an estimated 1.4 million homes in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed since the escalation of the war in February 2022, according to the Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, published in March 2023. Continued attacks on energy infrastructure, and water and gas systems further aggravated the situation.

Under the revised Winter Response Plan, humanitarian partners stepped up efforts to support people ahead of the winter. By the end of December, aid organizations had reached 1,7 million people with specific winter supplies and services. This included solid fuel and cash for fuel to ensure heating for over 710,000; winter clothes for 230,000 people; and support for the operation and maintenance of district heating systems for over 410,000 people, among other activities.

For more information please visit interactive Ukraine Winter Response Dashboard: Overview of Winter Season 2023-2024.

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Situation Report
Trends

FUNDING

In 2023, despite emerging new humanitarian crises, Ukraine's humanitarian response has remained among the most generously funded emergencies, even though the funding received has dropped significantly from the previous year. With some 68 per cent of the $3.95 billion requested under the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), humanitarian organizations have been able to significantly scale up their presence and operations throughout Ukraine to meet the increasing needs. This support was vital in ensuring a humanitarian presence and sustaining response efforts across many parts of the country, particularly in the areas most in need, as many of the people have exhausted their limited resources and coping mechanisms.

To meet the critical needs in most-affected areas, some 26 donors contributed to the Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund, which remained the world largest country-based pooled fund. The Fund allocated over US$181 million. Some $112 million were provided through emergency allocation to support most critical interventions. Over 30 per cent of this was provided to national actors.

The 2023 HRP saw substantial contributions from several key donors with United States, providing nearly 38 per cent (over $1 billion) of the total funding received. Other key donors included Germany ($345 million), the European Commission ($331 million), Japan ($171.4 million), Norway ($167.7 million), the United Kingdom ($129.8 million) and France ($119.3 million).Source: Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan 2023 | Financial Tracking Service (unocha.org)

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2023 Humanitarian Response Plan Funding Status

7 - UKR Response Snapshot December - HRP FUNDING STATUS

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Humanitarian Response Plan Funding, by Cluster

7 - UKR Response Snapshot December - FUNDING BY CLUSTER

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Situation Report
Feature
Blackouts in Kyivska Oblast
Lyudmyla put up a torch to serve as a lamp over her kitchen table during last winter's power cuts in Ozershchyna village, Kyiv Region. Photo: UNHCR/Viktoriia Andriievska

Facing another winter in war-torn Ukraine

By Viktoriia Andriievska, OCHA

"There were continuous blackouts last winter," says 71-year-old Lyudmyla from Ozershchyna village, in the north of Ukraine’s Kyiv Region. "I received this torch as a present from my daughter so I could have some light in my kitchen... The fighting continues, and I am so afraid of the potential recurrence of bombardments and power cuts," says Lyudmyla. To escape the attacks, she often sought refuge in her cellar. But after spending more than a month in the confined space, she faced health challenges after the psychological trauma of witnessing the destruction of her neighbours’ homes and the damage to her own roof. With support from a humanitarian agency, Lyudmyla's house was repaired, but she remains unsettled as the situation remains fluid.

The war’s impact has been profound across Ukraine. Homes, schools and vital community facilities, such as health care and energy systems, have been damaged or destroyed, and they remain under constant attack due to intensified hostilities. The front-line oblasts in the south and east are the worst affected.

The UN and humanitarian partners began early preparations for this winter, and they are appealing for US$435 million to deliver winter assistance to more than 1.7 million people across Ukraine through March 2024. As of October, more than 360,000 people had received winter support.

“We will continue to support affected people across the country together with our humanitarian partners and volunteers,” said Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown.

Read the full story here.

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Feature
Vira, Hontarivka
A Joint Emergency Response Ukraine worker (left) talks to Vira and her children. JERU/Simona Supino

Braving winter and air strikes to help people in need

By Nataliia Pushkaruk, OCHA

“Everything burned down completely. In my apartment, the walls were damaged. Windows, doors – everything was destroyed,” says Antonina Veryovka, a 69-year-old resident of Pervomaiske village in the Mykolaiv Region.

Her spirits remain unbroken. To support her attempt to rebuild her life, Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine and the Ukrainian charitable foundation New Dawn, funded by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, provided her with vital winter supplies – including a mattress, pillow and thermal blanket.

Humanitarian organizations are also helping Vira and her family from Hontarivka Village in the Kharkiv Region, just 39 km from the border with Russia. With no centralized gas supply, they rely on firewood for heating – a luxury that is becoming too expensive for many people.

Families like Vira’s received vital assistance from Joint Emergency Response Ukraine (JERU), which is a collaboration of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide and the Ukrainian NGO "We are brothers. We are Ukrainians". They provided the family with a stove and firewood.

JERU’s Country Director, Derya Mutlu, said: “Wherever we have been, winter has always been the biggest concern for people; whether they will have enough money for heating, whether families will be able to provide themselves with the necessary amount of firewood and fuel, heat their homes and pay unaffordable utility bills. That is why our winter projects are always aimed at meeting these essential needs.” 

Read the full story of Antonina, Vira and others and support provided by humanitarians to help the families get through the winter in war-ravaged communities in the south and east of Ukraine.

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Situation Report
Feature
Nataliia and her mother outside their new home, accompanied by a Medair staff member. Photo: OCHA/Anita Rudyk

Ukraine: Family makes a fresh start with a new farm

By Anita Rudyk, OCHA

“I never imagined I would be a farmer,” said 39-year-old Nataliia, standing outside her new home in Sapizhanka Village, in the Vinnytsia Region. I could see hope in her eyes, despite everything she’s been through. She worked as a logistician back home in Sievierodonetsk, in the Luhansk Region, but she and her family were forced to flee in 2022 because of the escalating war in Ukraine.

In her host community, Nataliia immediately engaged in volunteer activities to support her family and people who had also been forced from their homes because of Russia’s invasion. Through a Medair programme that helps internally displaced persons, Nataliia and her family found an uninhabited house in a rural area on the outskirts of Vinnytsia Town, and they worked to make it livable again.

“I never raised chickens before, but this is a valuable experience,” said Nataliia with a smile. She explained her plans to cultivate the land and someday turn her new farming skills into a business. Medair plans to organize training on farming and raising livestock, which will support Nataliia’s business goals in 2024.

 Read the full story here.

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Situation Report
Emergency Response

Useful contacts

  • PROTECTION FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE (PSEA) Humanitarian aid is free! If someone asks you to pay, do something inappropriate or perform any favour or sexual action in exchange for help, say no and email seareferral@un.org or call our partner hotline 0-800-309-110 / 0-800-30-77-11 / 0-800-332-656.

  • HUMANITARIAN NOTIFICATION SYSTEM (HNS) For more information on the HNS, please contact Alhadi Al Baridi at albaridi@un.org.

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Media

On New Year’s Eve, Head of OCHA Ukraine Sarah Hilding der Weduwen led an inter-agency convoy to the Kharkiv Region. It was the 105th inter-agency convoy delivered by the UN and humanitarian partners to the most affected front-line communities ravaged by the war. Looking back at 2023, the Head of OCHA Ukraine paid special tribute to all last-mile delivery partners, who play a critical role in bringing vital aid to the war-affected people who needed it the most.

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