Ukraine: From Emergency Aid to Long-Term Recovery

Roman Shinkarenko, HI’s Protection and Health Project Manager in Ukraine, has been working in humanitarian aid for nearly four years. Over that period, he has witnessed a significant shift in people’s needs. Interview.  

New needs 

At the outset of the full-scale invasion, the Dnipropetrovsk region primarily functioned as a receiving and transit hub: internally displaced people, including people with disabilities, arrived there before being relocated elsewhere. 

Over the past six months, however, the region itself has experienced hostilities. This shift has directly affected the profile of those seeking assistance. Whereas initial needs centered on housing, food, and financial support, demand has increasingly shifted toward psychological care, individualized follow-up, and physical rehabilitation. 

Increasing demand for psychosocial support 

This shift is particularly evident among young people and former military personnel who sustained injuries on the battlefield and returned home without adequate support. NGOs like HI provide assistive devices, psychological support, and essential services in a context where many communities lack awareness of physical rehabilitation services and where public services are scarce 

Over 1300 persons supported with rehabilitation  

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, home to more than two million residents, physical rehabilitation services are available in only six settlements. In the Zaporizhzhia region, such services are limited to the city of Zaporizhzhia. Remote communities have no access to these services. 

This is why HI provides comprehensive support, combining rehabilitation during home visits or in health centres and hospitals, assistive device provision, and psychological support. In 2025, we supported over 1,300 people with rehabilitation services.