Ukraine
2025 marks the third year of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, with 12.7 million people in need of assistance according to the humanitarian needs response plan. The intensification of attacks on essential infrastructure has made life increasingly difficult for millions of Ukrainians, and the number of civilian casualties continues to rise.
© M.Monier / HI
Actions in process
Initially HI operated in Ukraine from 2015 to 2017, focusing on Rehabilitation, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) to people living along the frontline, and capacity building activities for health and social structures in Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Luhansk regions.
In February 2022, when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, HI returned to the country. Our emergency response teams were deployed across Ukraine and in neighbouring Moldova, where many displaced people had fled for safety.
Between March and June 2022, after assessing the humanitarian needs and security constraints, operational offices were opened in Chernivtsi, Lviv, Vinnytsia, and Dnipro. A multi-sectoral emergency response was implemented to address the immediate needs of the vulnerable conflict-affected population. In September 2022, we also opened an office in Poltava, followed by another in Kharkiv and Mykolaiv in 2023. In June 2023, we closed our offices in Chernivtsi and Vinnitsa to focus our efforts out of new offices closer to the frontline, in Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. In June 2024, we also closed our office in Lviv. As well as in Poltava in the first part of 2025.
As of 2025, we have active bases in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and the Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as a coordination office in Kyiv.
Ongoing projects are :
- Comprehensive health through mobile teams and in hospitals, to provide physical and functional rehabilitation and mental health and psychosocial support;
- Protection services to identify and assess the needs of the most vulnerable and support them through referrals to professionals, specific/tailored information and awareness on protection issues.
- Armed violence reduction through explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) to reduce the risk of injury by raising awareness and promoting behavioural change; victim assistance (VA) through broad and specific efforts to address the needs and rights of victims and preparation for Non-Technical Surveys to contribute to land release.
- Inclusive humanitarian action through training and awareness raising for the humanitarian community to protect and ensure the meaningful participation of people with disabilities.
- Atlas Logistique to maximize the impact of humanitarian assistance by offering free-to-user shared logistics services (storage and transport), opening humanitarian access to the hardest-to-reach populations and providing capacity building to humanitarian actors.
Areas of intervention
concretely
Situation of the country
Since the war between Ukraine and Russia escalated on 24 February 2022, the country's cities have been the target of devastating bombing and shelling. Explosive weapons are being widely used, and civilians are the primary victims.
Regions in the east and south of the country are experiencing constant and intense fighting. Areas closer to the frontline have become difficult to access, making it challenging to provide people there with essential basic needs.In rural areas close to the front line or in regions close to Russia, the most vulnerable people, including people with disabilities, find it difficult to access services, yet have major needs in terms of livelihoods, health and protection.
While the war continues to rage, humanitarian needs are growing throughout the country, but particularly in the east and south near the frontline. The ongoing conflict has led to massive population displacements, damage to essential infrastructure (energy, water) and wide-scale contamination by explosive remnants of war.
Due to the massive destruction of infrastructure, access to essential services have become difficult in certain areas. People have been left without homes or livelihoods. Many are living in damaged housing or in buildings that provide little protection from the harsh winter weather.
By the end of 2024, the total number of people with disabilities in Ukraine had risen to 3 million, straining the healthcare system and increasing the need for humanitarian actions. Older people, who constitute 30% of the total number of people in need, often face isolation and obstacles to accessing health care and other vital services.
In general, around 12.7 million people in Ukraine need emergency humanitarian aid. In this context, inclusive humanitarian aid is essential to ensure that the most vulnerable are not forgotten.
• Number of HI staff: ≈275 (2025)
• Programmed opened in 2022
The conflict was triggered by mass protests in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities at the end of 2013, leading to the fall of President Yanukovych in February 2014. Today, Ukraine is still the most mine-contaminated country in the world.
Since 24 February 2022, when the conflict between Ukraine and Russia intensified, cities across the country have been the target of devastating weapons strikes.
In the current conflict, civilians remain the hardest hit by the daily air strikes and bombings, with more than 22,000 civilian casualties so far: almost 9,000 dead and more than 14,000 wounded. Almost 18 million people will need multi-sector humanitarian aid in 2023, including more than 6 million internally displaced people, 5 million returnees and the 7 million people who stayed at home throughout the war.
Civil infrastructure has been severely damaged, limiting access to electricity, telecommunications, food, water, heating and medical care. People are more vulnerable because of reduced access to essential services. An estimated 10 million people will need psychosocial support as a result of conflict-related trauma.
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