From housing to healthcare – see the impact you’re having on Ukrainians enduring a third year of full-scale war
The war in Ukraine is taking a heavy toll. Now in its third year, the conflict continues to claim lives and tear communities apart. Russia’s armed forces are destroying Ukrainian homes and infrastructure and plunging neighborhoods into darkness.
Families are fleeing to safety across the country and across borders, traumatised and fearful. Ukrainian children are especially vulnerable; schools have been destroyed and education disrupted.
Your generous donation can have a direct impact on the lives of Ukrainian families during this terrible time.
Here are five ways your financial support can make a difference.
Two million Ukrainian homes have been damaged or destroyed since the full-scale invasion began.
When conflict erupted in her hometown of Kherson, Tamila fled to Poland. She returned when the area was retaken by Ukrainian forces and found the scars of war on every street. Her own home was badly damaged from repeated shelling.
“I came back here because home is home,” she says. “So now I am alone, trying to put my life together and repair my house.”
With support from generous donors, UNHCR is helping to repair damaged homes like Tamila’s. Close to 28,000 homes have been repaired so far, and more than 287,000 people have received emergency shelter kits, allowing them to fix immediate damage to their homes.
“I am grateful to all the people who are concerned for our country. Please don’t forget about us,” Tamila says.
Ukrainian medical facilities have been repeatedly attacked during the conflict. Access to essential medical care has been severely disrupted as a result, especially in frontline areas.
Millions of Ukrainians are suffering mental health issues as a result of the war. Children are particularly affected, with over 1.5 million in urgent need of support to cope with stress and anxiety.
UNHCR and its local partner Proliska are offering psychological support services for evacuees and internally displaced people around the country.
With your support, UNHCR can continue to provide counselling sessions for traumatised families to deal with the anxiety of war - and help rebuild their lives.
More than 360 educational facilities have been destroyed since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
According to UN estimates, only a third of Ukraine's schoolchildren currently study in-person amid deadly missile and drone attacks. Children trapped in frontline areas have been forced to spend months sheltering underground because of the constant bombardment.
As part of its work focused on rebuilding and recovery, UNHCR is supporting the repair and refurbishment of schools across Ukraine.
In Kharkiv, local authorities are determined to help children continue their education. Underground ‘Metro Schools’ have been established to enable students to stay safe while learning.
Thanks to your generous donations, UNHCR has supported this initiative by providing construction materials.
Families displaced by the war face many financial burdens. UNHCR is providing Ukrainian refugees and displaced people, like Elina, with cash assistance to help with their everyday expenses as they seek safety.
When the full-scale invasion began, Elina fled her home in Donetsk with her son and her elderly mother. “The previous winter was terrible,” says Elina. “Blackouts, cold and greyness. We got ill several times. I had two jobs to feed my family.”
Thanks to generous donors, Elina received UNHCR’s cash assistance to help cover her family’s winter needs, including food, medicine and utilities.
“It was a miracle,” says Elina. “We did not expect to receive this assistance. Now I feel more confident in the future.”
UNHCR is also assisting refugees to find long-term accommodation through a rental assistance program, which helps displaced people secure a lease and provides enough cash to cover rent and bills for the first few months.
UNHCR is working hard to ensure Ukrainians receive the help they need in host countries. This includes housing, healthcare, education – and even business opportunities.
With a small business loan, Irina expanded her café, which serves traditional Ukrainian food, in her host country Georgia. She also employed more Ukrainian refugees, alongside locals.
“This type of financial assistance is crucial for individuals, and it contributes significantly to the country’s economy,” says Irina.
“I have many employees of different nationalities and, of course, a significant number from Ukraine.”
Irina’s café provides much-needed income for her Ukrainian employees. It also offers a taste of home.
With no end to the war in sight, Ukraine desperately needs humanitarian aid.
From schools to apartment blocks, hospitals to cafés – nowhere in Ukraine is safe. Your financial support can provide emergency cash and supplies for traumatised families, repair war-damaged homes and give psychological care.
Please support Ukrainian families suffering through this long conflict. Together, we can deliver more life-saving aid to people in need and help rebuild Ukraine.
The majority of funds raised by Australia for UNHCR are directed to UNHCR’s emergency operations, providing the ready funds and resources to respond quickly and effectively in situations of crisis and disaster.