Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis

• As of Jan. 30, 2023, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported 18,657 civilian casualties in the country, including 7,110 killed and 11,547 injured. OHCHR said the actual figures are considerably higher and most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused “by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area.” On Dec. 15, an aid worker was killed with another civilian during an attack in Kherson.
• As of Jan. 31, 2023, more than 8.04 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded across Europe according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
• As of Dec. 5, there are 5.9 million IDPs in Ukraine. This represents a slight decrease compared to 6.5 million at the end of October. However, among these, 680,000 have been newly displaced within the previous 30 days.
• Nearly a year of war has left one in three families food insecure, 18 million people needing humanitarian assistance, and displaced more than one-third of the country’s population.
• Between Feb. 24, 2022, and Feb. 1, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) verified 764 attacks on health care in Ukraine, resulting in 101 deaths and 131 injuries.
• As of Feb. 1, 2023, there were more than 5.37 million cases of COVID-19 and 111,020 deaths in Ukraine. The active hostilities and the COVID-19 pandemic are exacerbating chronic mental health problems.
• On Aug. 8, the UN and humanitarian partners released the revised Flash Appeal for Ukraine, covering the period between March and December 2022. The Flash Appeal requests $4.29 billion to support 11.5 million people in need, which is a 90% increase in financial requirements compared with the previous revision in April. As of Jan. 16, donors funded 79.7% of the $4.29 billion sought. The financial support level is significant, considering humanitarian emergencies are often underfunded. Also, some donors have redirected funding to Ukraine from other humanitarian crises, which risks worsening these crises with serious human costs.
• In December, UNOCHA said the number of aid organizations working in Ukraine had increased five-fold in the past nine months to 700. More than 60% are national non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
• As of Jan. 5, UN agencies and humanitarian partners have
  reached 13.9 million people with humanitarian assistance since Feb. 24. The oblast with the most people reached is Kharkivska.

In their October 2022 thematic report on humanitarian access in Ukraine, ACAPS said: “In rural areas and communities along the frontlines, access remains highly dependent on local NGOs and volunteers who face funding and other challenges. Nationwide, an escalation of air strikes has damaged critical civilian infrastructure, affecting the delivery of services, especially electricity.”

The ongoing damage to civilian infrastructure, including homes, water systems and the power grid, leaves people in unsafe conditions and hampers recovery. The UN Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine condemned the Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas on Oct. 10-11 that resulted in scores of civilian casualties.

A new wave of missile attacks in early December 2022 targeting energy infrastructure in Ukraine left around 10 million people without electricity, and millions cut off from water and heating supplies. The combination of winter’s arrival and the continued destruction of critical infrastructure has added new dimensions to the humanitarian crisis in the country.

According to UNOCHA in their Nov. 15 Ukraine Situation Report: “Over 165,000 people in villages retaken by Ukraine, including the city of Kherson, face dire humanitarian situation due to extensive damages and destruction of infrastructure.” Less than 72 hours after the Government of Ukraine regained control of Kherson, the UN delivered supplies to help thousands of civilians in the city.

On Jan. 20, UNOCHA delivered aid to around 800 people close to Soledar in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, its first delivery to the area as it tries to increase aid to front-line areas.

On Dec. 15, an aid distribution center in Kherson was hit, killing at least two people, including a humanitarian worker. According to UNOCHA, “Across the oblast, damages to schools, sports and community centres, medical facilities, residential buildings and energy systems have been reported.” Despite the continuation of fighting, inter-agency convoys are successfully reaching affected people close to the front lines.

In October 2022, NGOs called for unhindered access for all humanitarian staff and assistance, including in areas outside Ukrainian control, which continues to be denied. Now that winter is here, humanitarian organizations are actively distributing generators to hospitals and some schools, providing repair support to collective centers and damaged homes and cash to cover essential costs.

In their assessment of access conditions in countries between January and June 2022, ACAPS placed only four countries in the “extreme constraints” category, and Ukraine was one of them. Humanitarian access deteriorated significantly during the period. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during his Aug. 24 briefing to the Security Council, said it is imperative that humanitarian actors in Ukraine have safe and unhindered access to all people requiring assistance, no matter where they live.

From Feb. 24, 2022 to Jan. 31, 2023, there were more than 18.15 million border crossings from Ukraine, according to UNHCR. As of Jan. 31, 8,046,560 refugees from Ukraine were recorded across Europe. The war has caused the world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis since World War II. According to the revised Ukraine Situation RRRP, 90% of refugees are women and children.

As of Jan. 31, Poland had seen 9,329,169 border crossings from Ukrainians fleeing the war and 1,563,386 refugees from Ukraine registered in the country, the most of any neighboring country.

On March 4, “European Union (EU) Member States activated the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for the first time. The TPD stipulates that all Member States must grant temporary protection (TP) to Ukrainians and persons with protection status in Ukraine and their family members residing in Ukraine before 24 February.”

As of Jan. 31, 2,451,726 Ukrainian refugees were registered for Temporary Protection or similar national schemes in neighboring countries. The TPD is the first time the bloc has invoked such an emergency power. Observers have noted that the reception for Ukrainians in the EU is in stark contrast to how the continent has viewed asylum seekers from other parts of the world.

In their Jan. 27 Ukraine Situation Flash Update, UNHCR said that the number of border crossings to neighboring countries consistently exceeded departures to Ukraine in the reporting period. In 2023, UNHCR’s primary focus will be “to advocate for their [refugees] inclusion in national systems and to support governments in these efforts. Working hand in hand with national and local actors, UNHCR will aim to ensure that refugees have access to education, employment, housing, social welfare and medical or other assistance, which will also strengthen social cohesion.”

According to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) General Population Survey (Round 11), an estimated 5,914,000 people have been internally displaced within the country since Oct. 26. Of these, 57% are women and 43% are men, and 42% of IDP households include one or more older persons.

The estimated number of IDPs decreased by 626,000 people from Oct. 27 to Nov. 25. The largest number of IDPs are located in the east. Those displaced may have been forced to move multiple times, including before February 2022, during the past eight years of conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

IOM estimates 5,236,000 total returnees since Oct. 26, including former IDPs from locations within Ukraine and self-reported returns from outside the country. There are concerns about less attention and support for IDPs compared to refugees. According to a winter needs assessment carried out by the International Rescue Committee in five oblasts in December 2022, 25% of respondents did not have access to sufficient heating and 61.3% said their houses needed repairs.

A study from the Norwegian Refugee Council on refugee returns from Poland in July and August 2022 found that 50% of survey respondents said their children had not attended school since leaving Ukraine. Additionally, the primary factor driving return for a third of respondents was family reunification and the wish to return to their country; the vast majority were returning to their previous home.

While human trafficking in Ukraine was widespread before the war, indications show an increased risk of trafficking since the war in Ukraine began. These risks are expected to increase as the war continues and more people are displaced. The Global Protection Cluster published a guide that provides direction on preventing trafficking, who to work with in doing so and what support victims require.

There were nearly 80,000 foreign students in Ukraine at the beginning of the conflict. Many are Indian or African (mostly from Morocco, Egypt and Nigeria) and both groups reported stories of racism and discrimination at the border in trying to leave the country.

The Biden administration announced in April that the U.S. would accept 100,000 Ukrainians through an online portal named Uniting for Ukraine. Under this program, more than 50,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the U.S. as of September 2022. However, more Ukrainians have entered the country on visas they held or by crossing the U.S.-Mexico border than the online portal.

According to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, 65% of Americans favor accepting Ukrainian refugees into the U.S., while 15% oppose it. More than 40 major companies in the U.S., including Hilton, Amazon, Pfizer and Pepsico, pledged in September 2022 to hire nearly 23,000 refugees over the next three years. However, their promises do not match the increase in new arrivals.

Ukraine has more than 130 ethnic groups, many of whom speak other languages. Groups with heightened vulnerabilities include the Roma community, the elderly, people with disabilities, women in rural communities in displacement and conflict zones, and LGBTQIA+ communities.

According to the 2023 Ukraine Humanitarian Needs Overview, “The highest severity of needs is among people living in areas under the temporary military control of the Russian Federation and in areas directly affected by active hostilities.”

Additionally, among people who remain in towns and villages, the highest needs are in the east, especially among older people and people with disabilities.

Many homes that care for older Ukrainians and those with disabilities in eastern Ukraine have evacuated their residents to Dnipro, and many residents are traumatized. Older adults face increasing challenges in accessing services and forced separation and isolation. The harsh winter weather and lack of power and electricity caused by Russian attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure creates particular challenges for older people because of existing health problems, limited mobility and little income.

According to a report by Amnesty International released on Dec. 6, “older people in Ukraine have been disproportionately impacted by death and injury during Russia’s invasion and are unable to access housing on an equal basis with others after being displaced.” Older people often remain in or are not able to flee affected areas, meaning they are exposed to harm.

According to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) General Population Survey (Round 11), 25% of IDP households had one or more people living with a disability and 42% included at least one older person.

As of 2021, more than 2.7 million people in Ukraine were registered with disabilities, including nearly 164,000 children. Many of these children are housed in orphanages or institutions. Care must be taken for their safety during evacuations.

On Jan. 24, 2023, International Day of Education, UNICEF said, “Some 5.3 million children face barriers preventing access to education, including 3.6 million children directly affected by school closures.” The UN agency warned that this places children in Ukraine at risk of losing critical years of schooling and social development.

After Feb. 24, 2022, all education programs in the country were stopped for two weeks, and the conflict disrupted education for the rest of the school year for children in several oblasts. Ukraine’s Ministry of Education says that since the war began, more than 2,600 schools have been damaged and over 400 destroyed across Ukraine.

The first day of school for the new 2022-2023 academic year in Ukraine was on Sept. 1, but the situation is far from normal. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, 27% of schools resumed face-to-face learning, 43% distance learning and 30% mix modality. A mere 25% of Ukrainian schools nationwide have been able to offer full-time, in-person learning since September 2022. On Jan. 24, 2023, Save the Children said one school has been destroyed every other day in Ukraine since the start of the academic year in September 2022.

Multiple forms of gender-based violence (GBV) have been reported, with high risk for women and girls fleeing, at border crossing points, transit centers and bomb shelters. A report from HIAS and VOICE released in May 2022 discusses a range of GBV risks, including an increase in domestic violence and an extreme lack of safe and sustainable housing and shelter options. Civil society organizations have responded to meet immediate needs but face many challenges in attempting to provide support to large numbers of internally displaced people.

According to a GBV Task Force formed by members of the GBV sub-cluster and the Cash Working Group, the Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) scheme registration is mainly done online, which is a barrier to people without access to the internet, including older women. Additionally, women from some ethnic minority groups, such as Roma, may have more difficulties registering for CVA due to a lack of documentation.

People that identify as LGBTQIA+ people in Ukraine often cannot reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity, fearing violence, rejection and discrimination if they do. People’s identities are complex and intersect in ways that can exacerbate inequitable outcomes. Discrimination and other difficulties often add barriers to accessing humanitarian assistance and services. Transgender persons whose gender identity does not match their official identity documents face significant barriers. Dozens of LBGTQIA+ Ukrainians have reported being turned away at official Ukrainian border crossings and experienced mistreatment by authorities.

The war has devastated Ukraine’s economy, with hostilities and displacement driving the loss of livelihoods and income. Around 9.3 million people across the country require food and livelihood assistance from March to December 2022.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development predicted 30% negative growth in Ukraine’s GDP in 2022. The Bank said, “GDP growth in Ukraine is forecast to bounce back to 25 per cent next year but this assumes that substantial reconstruction work is by then already underway. How long the hostilities last, the shape of any post-war settlement, the extent of reconstruction and how many refugees return home will also influence the recovery’s speed.”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted:

• 35% decrease in Ukraine’s economy in 2022.
• Negative impact on global markets.
• A decrease of 8.5% for the Russian Federation’s gross domestic product.
• “IMF stressed that even if the war ended soon, the displacement and loss of people, as well as the destruction of physical capital, would seriously hamper economic activity for many years to come … Further, IMF concluded that, beyond the immediate humanitarian impacts, the war in Ukraine would severely set back the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, slowing growth and increasing inflation even further.”

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), early data released in March 2022 indicated that “90% of the Ukrainian population could be facing poverty and extreme economic vulnerability should the war deepen, setting the country – and the region – back decades and leaving deep social and economic scars for generations to come.”

Ukraine’s agricultural sector is a crucial source of livelihood for Ukrainians, especially those living in rural areas. Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the agricultural sector accounts for 11% of the country’s gross domestic product and almost 40% of total exports. There were reports in May 2022 that the NGCA of Khersonska oblast (south) has begun exporting grain to the Russian Federation.

According to OEC, “The top exports of Ukraine are Seed Oils ($5.32B), Corn ($4.89B), Wheat ($4.61B), Iron Ore ($4.27B), and Semi-Finished Iron ($3.03B), exporting mostly to China ($7.26B), Poland ($3.26B), Russia ($2.97B), Turkey ($2.5B), and Egypt ($2.39B).”

Sunflower may be the most important crop to the Ukrainian economy, considering the size of agricultural holdings, the value of its products and the number of jobs it creates. From Feb. 24 to Oct. 4, 2022, REACH recorded 72 cases of damage or destruction of agricultural machinery. The impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the country’s sunflower oil processing supply chain has been significant.

Fires impacting agricultural facilities were reported in central Dnipropetrovska oblast in July 2022. The attack escalation will likely contributed to significant harvest disruption and impacts on food security. Also, the time it takes to demine territories back under the control of Ukraine’s government causes delays in determining food assistance and livelihood needs. Humanitarian partners are prioritizing the provision of food in hard-to-reach and frontline areas. Livestock owners in Khersonska oblast have been unable to graze their animals because their fields have been contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance.

The conflict is likely to exacerbate world hunger, particularly in countries already facing famine or high levels of malnutrition and food shortages. It will also increase the costs of many products globally. Ukraine exported a number of products that will significantly impact the global food supply chain. Ukraine and Russia export 28% of the world’s wheat and 15% of its corn.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, combined with lingering pandemic effects and an increase in climate-related events, will have far-reaching consequences globally. The war in Ukraine has sent food prices soaring, exacerbating the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa. The WFP has urged for a “political solution” as the closure of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea threatens food supplies globally.

An agreement in July with the UN and Turkey aimed to facilitate shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, with the deal aiming to ease the global food shortage. On Aug. 3, the first shipment of Ukrainian food under the deal was cleared to proceed from Istanbul to its destination in Lebanon. On Oct. 29, Russia suspended its involvement in the agreement only to resume its cooperation in early November. The agreement has allowed around 10 million tons of foodstuffs to enter the world market. The agreement was due to expire on Nov. 19, however, an extension was reached for another 120 days.

Ukraine says speeding up inspections of ships is key to increasing exports under the agreement. Russia continues to restrict most shipments from Ukraine and attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure contribute to disrupting the flow of food onto global markets. However, despite grain once again leaving Ukrainian ports and fertilizer prices falling, the world is still struggling with the worst food crisis in modern history. Concerns remain, given that food prices appear to have stabilized at high levels.

During all disasters, there are unique needs faced by women and girls, and these are exacerbated in a conflict crisis. In 2023, 44% of the 17.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance are women, and 11% are girls. Expectations of traditional gender roles are likely to have compounding impacts on women and men in Ukraine. As of July 2022, 61% of registered unemployed persons in Ukraine are women. For displaced women and new returnees, finding new livelihoods is a considerable challenge.

There have been numerous reports of rape and other forms of gender-based violence. According to estimates by the GBV Sub-Cluster, around 3.7 million people need GBV prevention and response services.

On May 3, the UN and the government of Ukraine signed a framework to assist survivors of sexual violence. On June 20, the Ukrainian government announced having ratified the Council of Europe’s “Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence,” also known as the Istanbul Convention. The convention establishes legally binding standards for governments to prevent violence against all women and girls, support survivors, and hold abusers to account. The move was welcomed by rights groups, including Human Rights Watch.

CARE produced a rapid gender analysis (RGA) brief on the Ukraine crisis that highlights significant gender issues – both pre-existing issues and ones that have emerged as a result of the conflict – so that humanitarian responses can better meet people’s different needs as the crisis evolves.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) the needs of women and girls must be prioritized because of the ongoing threats that they face. A report from HIAS and VOICE released in May 2022 revealed that top concerns for women and girls include threats to physical safety, food insecurity and lack of healthcare access.

In a note on the gender-related impacts of the conflict in April 2022, the FAO said: “Increasing food insecurity and water and energy scarcity, as a result of the crisis, may place women and girls at higher risk of domestic violence due to heightened tensions in the household and communities.”

Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA said in April 2022, “Women do not stop getting pregnant or giving birth during conflict, and their access to life-saving health services is literally under attack in Ukraine. With health and social service facilities being bombed and shelled, and reports of rape and other forms of gender-based violence rising, UNFPA is focused on meeting the distinct needs of women and girls.”