As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, Action Against Hunger continues to stand alongside communities affected by the conflict. Since February 2022, we have adapted our response to reflect changing realities, seasons, and needs. Through close connection with local communities and frequent needs assessments, we have been able to maximize our impact, offering services when and where they are needed most.
Here you can see an overview of how we have adapted our Emergency Response in Ukraine to meet urgent needs over the years:
When conflict broke out on February 24th, 2022, Action Against Hunger quickly deployed a team to conduct a needs assessment. Based on their findings, we coordinated emergency response plans and logistics with local governments and other humanitarian actors.
In March, Action Against Hunger was distributing hot meals, hygiene materials, and other basic supplies to families on the frontlines in eastern Ukraine.
In western Ukraine, we began providing mental health support and cash transfers to people who fled the conflict, as well as the communities hosting them.
About 1.8 million people fled into Poland and thousands fled into Romania to find safety, so Action Against Hunger launched programs to ensure refugees were met with food, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) supplies, and psychosocial support when they arrived.
Action Against Hunger established partnerships with a variety of organizations to meet the needs of people affected by conflict. For example, in April, we partnered with the Nagle Sami Foundation, which specializes in supporting people who have lost their loved ones or who have suddenly found themselves alone for any other reason.
More families were forced to flee Ukraine as the conflict spread. Thousands poured into Moldova with urgent humanitarian needs. Action Against Hunger expanded programs into the country to support refugees and the people hosting them with food, hygiene kits, and cash transfers.
Action Against Hunger launched new programs in Odessa and Mykolaiv, which had suffered the brunt of the conflict in the spring and left families with shattered homes and livelihoods. To ensure safe water access for communities, our teams worked quickly to repair damaged water treatment plants and water distribution networks.
We also strengthened medical supply chains for our medical partners, bolstering their capacity to meet healthcare needs. New mental health programs were developed to help families cope with the trauma of conflict and loss.
By the end of 2022, Action Against Hunger teams had helped more than 480,000 people across the country.
Over 8 million Ukrainians had been displaced by February 2023. Destroyed food systems made food too expensive for families to afford, putting an estimated 10 million people in Ukraine in need of food aid. Responding to increasing food insecurity, Action Against Hunger made plans to expand its distribution of food and basic necessities to the south.
On June 6th, the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed, triggering a humanitarian and ecological catastrophe. Within a matter of hours, Action Against Hunger, local authorities, and humanitarian partners were on site to provide hot meals and clean water to victims.
As airstrikes lessened in Ivanivka, a village near the front line, displaced residents began to return. Action Against Hunger was one of the few organizations to intervene in this area. We supported these returnees through a three-month financial assistance program and group psychosocial support sessions, reaching around 250 people per month to aid recovery and rebuilding efforts amid continued insecurity.
Action Against Hunger supported 675,364 people in 2023 in Ukraine, providing support for health, mental health and psychosocial care, water, hygiene and sanitation, as well as food security and livelihoods.
With intense fighting still under way, our operational priorities for 2024 were determined to be: increasing food security, particularly for displaced and vulnerable people; facilitating access to primary healthcare and psychological support; and guaranteeing access to water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH).
An increase in air attacks, particularly in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, delayed equipment deliveries and forced Action Against Hunger to follow restrictive security protocols, slowing down our programs and increasing their costs in those areas.
As winter approached and civilian energy infrastructure continued to be targeted, Action Against Hunger helped people prepare for the colder season by providing solar heat pumps, winterization kits, and agricultural support like small greenhouses to bolster food security for winter.
After three years of war, we had to stop distributing cash to families displaced near the frontline due to a loss of funding when USAID was suspended. The cuts also caused temporary interruptions to our psychosocial support programs for traumatized children and teenagers.
We increased focus on food distribution, and Action Against Hunger sent mobile kitchens in rural communities on the frontlines in May, where fighting was intensifying and limiting access to essential goods.
Action Against Hunger began working with the local organization Perspektyva in Mykolaiv to support women-led businesses in conflict-affected areas, providing essential goods and services and helping to rebuild local economies.
Action Against Hunger’s mobile health unit was sent to Shyroke village, Dnipropetrovsk region to support displaced families in need of health services. One primary focus was supporting the wellbeing of pregnant and breastfeeding women with nutrition and lifestyle advice.
Significant Russian advances into eastern Ukraine led to a surge of displacement: 14,000 people fled following a mandatory evacuation order issued by Ukrainian authorities on July 24th. Action Against Hunger was able to launch a cash response to respond to a surge in displacement in Eastern Ukraine.
Over 3.7 million people are currently displaced within Ukraine, while 6.8 million people have become refugees in other countries, according to the UN. The conflict continues to harm food security and put families at risk. At least 12.1 million people are in now need of urgent humanitarian support. Action Against Hunger continues to adapt and meet the needs of vulnerable families, supporting health and helping them live with dignity and hope.
Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 56 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.
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