Crisis in Ukraine: How to help

In 2026, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 10.8 million Ukrainians (out of a total population of 34.2 million) will require some form of humanitarian aid. 

The greatest needs are in the eastern regions, or oblasts, along the frontlines, including Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk, Sumy, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia. Nearly half of all Ukrainians requiring assistance—some 4.1 million—live within 30 miles of the frontline, and face the highest needs. They’re also the most limited in terms of getting those needs met amid regular air raids and unexploded landmines and other dangerous ordnance. 

Learn more about the crisis in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis is felt across the entire country, especially in terms of housing and energy. Attacks on energy infrastructure have left the entire country facing regular blackouts, which affects both heating and hot water. 

The situation became even more complicated this winter, the worst that Ukraine has faced in more than a decade. Unscheduled power outages have become common in eastern cities like Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Odesa—as well as the capital of Kyiv—amid targeted attacks on power sources. In some cases these attacks have left people without power for weeks amid temperatures that have fallen to minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit.

73% of internally-displaced Ukrainians have been away from home for more than two years. But the intensification of hostilities has led to more movement. Last year alone, 130,000 people were “officially” evacuated with support from the Ukrainian government or humanitarian organizations, and many more fleeing on their own. Many are processed through crowded transit centers, and approximately 71,000 Ukrainians are living in overcrowded collective centers.  These spaces provide shelter — especially in areas where private housing is hard to find or afford — but the standard of living has not been able to keep up with capacity.

More than 4,300 educational institutions have suffered damage. The World Health Organization estimates over 2,700 attacks on healthcare facilities. As of the beginning of 2024 (the most recent data available), over 2 million housing units were damaged. UN OCHA estimates that the direct cost of destruction could be up to $176 billion, with roughly a third of that cost going to the housing market.

Four years of conflict have also taken a toll on the mental well-being of Ukrainians, with more than 70% of adults reporting anxiety, depression, and severe stress. Living with uncertainty and the side-effects of conflict (including air raids, power outages, and inflation) has become normalized as a matter of survival.

Children are also hit especially hard by this, suffering profound grief, trauma, and loss while also missing out on a normal childhood and education. Some have been out of the classroom since the COVID-related lockdowns of 2020.

Inflation in Ukraine has continued to be driven by conflict, leaving many families going further into debt to afford basic essentials while also losing incomes. This is especially true in rural areas, where one-third of Ukrainians live. Despite efforts to stabilize the economy, the need for targeted livelihoods support and cash-based assistance remains critical to ensure that households can meet their basic needs.