About the Crisis in Ukraine
The full-scale war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022 following the Russian Federation’s invasion of the country. As a result of heavy shelling and fighting, an estimated 3.7 million people have been driven from their homes and are internally displaced and nearly 6.5 million people have crossed into neighboring countries in the region including Poland, Hungary, Moldova or other countries globally. Poland has welcomed the greatest number of Ukrainian refugees, hosting nearly 60 percent of all refugees from Ukraine.
Missile and rocket attacks have caused widespread death, destruction of homes and businesses and severely damaged energy infrastructures across Ukraine. The energy crisis is disrupting public access to water, electricity, heating, healthcare, education and social protection. Many Ukrainians are living in damaged homes or in buildings ill-prepared for life-threatening freezing temperatures. As the war continues, humanitarian needs are multiplying and spreading. An estimated 14.6 million people in Ukraine will need humanitarian assistance in 2024.
Particularly vulnerable groups include older people and people with disabilities who may be unable to flee from high-risk areas. Women and children, who make up approximately 90 percent of people fleeing the crisis, are at risk of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse. UNHCR is on the ground in Ukraine and across Europe ensuring basic and urgent needs are met. UNHCR and UNICEF have partnered together to establish 39 Blue Dots across eight different countries—one-stop safe spaces equipped to provide information, counseling, mental health and psychosocial support, legal aid and protection services for refugees.
The war in Ukraine has caused ripple effects across the world—disrupting global supply chains and increasing the price of food, fuel and other commodities. Displaced people living in already vulnerable situations are at risk of gender-based violence and other forms of abuse. The UN Refugee Agency saw a $700 million funding gap in the first year of the war in Ukraine, putting great strain on operations in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Iraq, Ethiopia and other countries in dire need of support.
“Donors – governments, business, and private individuals – have been incredibly generous over the past year,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said concluding a six day visit to Ukraine in January 2023. “This must be sustained if we are to provide people with the support they urgently need today and for the coming year. I hope all our donors will continue to enable the response to these humanitarian needs.”
