Ukraine is one of the world’s largest displacement crises, with 6.8 million people having fled the country and 3.6 million internally displaced since February 2022. More than 80% of the displaced have been dependent on humanitarian aid for more than a year, and they struggle to find sustainable solutions.
Nine million Ukrainians live in poverty. The destruction of infrastructure and the closure of businesses have led to a 22% unemployment rate in regions close to the front line. In these areas, rising prices and the loss of livelihoods are threatening food security.
To support people affected by the conflict, Action Against Hunger provides cash assistance, food vouchers, hygiene kits, healthcare, vocational training and business start-up aid in the Soumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhya regions. “With the advance of Russian forces in the second half of 2024, more than 200,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Housing is difficult to access, and the limitation of benefits paid by the government for displaced people, since March 2024, has left many people even more vulnerable,” explains Ionuț Raita, Director of Action Against Hunger in Ukraine.
The conflict has severely disrupted access to healthcare services. Repeated attacks on health infrastructures and shortages of medicines and personnel are further limiting access to care. To meet these challenges, Action Against Hunger has set up mobile health teams that travel to hard-to-reach areas in the Dnipro and Kharkiv regions. These teams, made up of a doctor, a nurse, a midwife and a gynecologist, provide health care and medicines to the most vulnerable people.
Valeriy, a general practitioner with Action Against Hunger’s mobile medical team, has long worked as a family doctor and as director of a general outpatient clinic. “I myself have been affected by the military actions, as I am currently displaced. I am originally from the Zaporizhzhya region. Because of the war, I also had to leave my home, my work and my friends. I think this is one of our main missions: to help people survive these hardships and provide them with assistance,” explains Valeriy.
“The stories of our patients are touching. There is this young woman whose husband has been mobilized to the front. She is expecting her third child and has two young children. She worries about them and manages all the problems alone. Through our work, we make sure that women like her are supported and that they are not alone”, says Anastasia, a gynecologist on the Action Against Hunger mobile team.
Mental health has plummeted with the threat of air strikes, displacement, and the loss of loved ones and livelihoods causing deep distress. Ten million people are likely to suffer from mental disorders in the short to medium term.
The mental health of children, who have been deprived of formal education for four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war, is particularly at risk. “Every air raid alarm not only increases the anxiety of Ukrainian children, but also their loss of learning. For children who no longer have access to schools, distance learning is made difficult by unstable Internet connections and power cuts caused by air strikes”, explains Ionuț Raita.
Humanitarian organizations are facing two main challenges: reduced humanitarian access, particularly near the front line, and reduced funding, which limits their resources and prevents them from providing comprehensive assistance.
In addition, the suspension of certain operations funded by US aid could have an impact on around 20,000 people living in areas close to the front line. “As a result of this suspension, access to healthcare could become very limited for 18,000 people living in remote areas and in precarious conditions. We had to interrupt psychological support sessions for displaced and traumatized children and teenagers, and around 1,800 people in highly vulnerable situations may no longer receive financial support to cover their basic needs,” explains Ionuț Raita.
By 2025, Action Against Hunger, in collaboration with six local and two international partners, aims to reach 97,559 people in four key areas: health, food security and livelihoods, psychological support, water, hygiene and sanitation, and capacity building for civil society organizations. More than ever, international support for this crisis remains crucial to prevent a worsening of the humanitarian situation.
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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