Two years after the start of the war in Ukraine, Action Against Hunger is warning that humanitarian needs remain dramatically high. Around 14.6 million people, or 40 per cent of the entire population require aid, with 3.3 million of them in communities near the front lines, where little assistance arrives due to a lack of humanitarian access. Action Against Hunger has supported more than 1.5 million people since February 2022.
Since the invasion, more than 6 million people have fled Ukraine and 4 million are internally displaced, while 7.3 million people need food and support for their livelihoods. The threat of war is particularly felt by civilians with more than 10,000 Ukrainians killed by constant bombardments, mines, and drone attacks.
According to the Humanitarian NGO Platform, of which Action Against Hunger is a member, an average of 38 civilians have been killed per day, with recent months being particularly deadly.
“Air strikes targeting civilians and infrastructure essential to their survival threatens to further deteriorate the living conditions of the Ukrainian people, particularly in areas close to the front line where humanitarian aid is struggling to get through” says Philip Oldham, Deputy Country Director of Action Against Hunger in Ukraine.
“In 2024, Action Against Hunger, in collaboration with local partners, will continue to support communities affected by the conflict in the west, east and south of the country. Our operations will aim to strengthen food security, particularly for displaced people, facilitate access to primary healthcare and psychological support, and guarantee access to water, hygiene and sanitation”.
In Ukraine, Action Against Hunger is improving access to food, particularly for displaced people. Other aid measures include access to basic medical care and psychological counselling as well as access to water, hygiene and sanitary facilities.
Mental health support for children and young people is an important aspect of Action Against Hunger’s response. According to the Ukrainian government, over 3,790 educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed since February. Intact facilities have been used to house refugees or as distribution centres for relief supplies. As a result, millions of children and young people have no access to education.
Action Against Hunger has been providing emergency aid in Ukraine and the neighbouring countries of Poland, Romania and Moldova since the war began. Today, Action Against Hunger coordinates humanitarian aid in Ukraine from Kyiv.
In the western part of Ukraine via the Chernivtsi base, aid is focussed on mental health, food distribution and multi-sectoral emergency aid through cash transfers so that people – refugees and host communities – can meet the most urgent needs.
In eastern Ukraine, humanitarian aid is organised via bases in Dnipro and Kharkiv with operations in the Donetsk, Sumy and Zaporizhia oblasts.