Ukraine Crisis

Ukraine Map
Source: OCHA/ReliefWeb

The country

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The country regained independence in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union (the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR). Its capital is Kyiv. Ukraine shares land borders with Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. The country covers an area of 603,550 square kilometers. In 2022, Ukraine had an estimated population of about 43,5 million people, making it one of the most populous countries in Europe. The Eastern European nation is neither a member of the European Union (EU) nor the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The humanitarian situation

Within weeks, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has created one of the largest humanitarian disasters globally. By March 2023, more than 22,000 civilians were recorded killed or wounded as a result of the war.  Violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law occurring in the course of the ongoing armed attack are widespread. Millions of civilians fear for their lives. People in Ukraine continue to be killed, wounded and deeply traumatized by the violence. Civilian infrastructure on which they depend continues to be destroyed or damaged.

The war in Ukraine has led to one of the two major displacement crises in the world - the other being the Syrian civil war - with more than 13.5 million people fleeing their homes. More than 8.1 million refugees have sought refuge in foreign countries, mainly the Russian Federation, Poland and Germany. At least 5.4 million people are displaced within Ukraine.   

More than a year since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, humanitarian needs continue to rise. Millions of people across the country have endured months of intense hostilities without adequate access to food, water, health care, education, protection and other essential services. Massive destruction of civilian infrastructure has left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without their homes or livelihoods.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says at least 17.6 million people in Ukraine require humanitarian assistance this year. Among them are 5.5 million children.  According to OCHA, more than 650 humanitarian partner organizations have provided so far life-critical aid and protection services to nearly 16 million people across the country in 2022. 

In 2023, OCHA and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have jointly appealed for US$5.6 billion (€ 5.24 billion) to ease the plight of millions of people affected by the war against Ukraine. The Humanitarian Response Plan for Ukraine calls for $3.9 billion (€ 3.65 billion) to reach 11.1 million people with food, health care, cash and other life-saving assistance. The Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for refugees from Ukraine appeals for $1.7 billion (€ 1.59 billion).

Humanitarian access in conflict zones is difficult, in particular near the eastern and southern fronts as well as in territories controlled or occupied by Russian forces. Ukrainian authorities in general allow unhindered access for relief organizations. Missile attacks and other airstrikes on large urban centers impact humanitarian operations across the country, particularly hampering the movement of aid workers and delivery of emergency supplies in eastern Ukraine, where people are in desperate need of assistance.

The arrival of winter brought new dimensions to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, as damage on energy infrastructure and homes leave millions at risk of deadly temperatures that can drop below -20°C. Attacks on energy infrastructure continue across the country, leaving millions of people without electricity, water supply and heating systems. 

Due to the impact of the war in Ukraine, which is driving up the prices of food, fuel and fertilizer, other humanitarian crises around the world are deteriorating. The conflict is exacerbating the already dramatic food situation in many countries and millions of people worldwide are at risk of starvation.

Ukaine LocationThe security situation

Armed conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine in 2014, following Russia’s occupation and annexation of Crimea, dramatically affecting the lives of millions of people.  On February 24, 2022 Russia escalated its conflict with Ukraine by invading the country on several fronts. The 2022 invasion has become the largest conventional military attack on a sovereign state in Europe and created the continent’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.

The invasion has received near universal international condemnation, and many countries have imposed sanctions on Russia and also supplied military aid to Ukraine. In contrast, China and India - the two most populous countries in the world - did not condemn the war and made virtually no effort to end the conflict,  even though both countries are the only ones capable of contributing much to it.

The security situation in Ukraine deteriorated rapidly following the launch of the Russian military offensive with forces crossing into the country from Belarus in the north, Russia in the east and Crimea in the south. The armed violence escalated in at least eight oblasts (administrative regions), including Kyiv Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast, and Chernihiv Oblast, as well as in the eastern oblasts Donetsk and Luhansk which were already affected by the 2014 conflict.

After Russian withdrawal of troops from the Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kharkiv Oblasts, the security situation improved there, at least temporarily. Subsequently Russia’s self-declared main effort has been on taking control of the Donbas region, though missile attacks and other airstrikes on large urban centers in the whole of Ukraine continue.

Since the summer of 2022, however, most of the fighting has been confined to the east and south of the country. The war in Ukraine shows no signs of abating and drives increasing humanitarian needs across the country, especially in the Donbas region and the southern oblasts of Mykolaiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. While active fighting continues near the front lines, civilians bear the brunt of constant attacks. 

In a further escalation of the conflict, Russia declared on September 30, 2022 the annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions into the territory of the Russian Federation. On October 10, 2022, the Russian president announced targeted attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. As the Russian Federation rhetorically threatens NATO member states and the use of nuclear weapons, the Ukraine crisis risks escalating into a Third World War with unforeseeable consequences for billions of people globally.

In its first comprehensive report on the situation in Ukraine since Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that the Russian authorities have committed numerous violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in addition to a wide range of war crimes. The war crimes include attacks on civilians and energy-related infrastructure, willful killings, torture and inhuman treatment, unlawful confinement, rape and unlawful transfers and deportations of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation. Some of the serious violations of the law may amount to crimes against humanity.

Donations

Your donation for the Ukraine emergency can help United Nations agencies, international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their local partners to rapidly provide water, food, medicine, shelter and other aid to the people who need it most.

Many people are already donating to the emergency relief effort in Ukraine. If you would like to support humanitarian crises worldwide with a contribution, you can donate directly to the United Nations Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF).

You can find more organizations to donate to in:  DONARE: Humanitarian Crisis Relief , DONARE: Refugees and IDPS , DONARE: Children in Need and DONARE: Hunger and Food Insecurity.

Further Information

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