NRC in Ukraine

Humanitarian overview

The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, which began in 2014, has remained unresolved despite diplomatic efforts and numerous cease-fire agreements. Now, a new wave of conflict is spreading across the country, having a devastating impact on the civilian population.

At the beginning of 2022, some 5.2 million people were already affected by the conflict in the east and about 800,000 people were displaced. Over 3,000 civilians had been killed, and 3.4 million were in need of humanitarian assistance. In the conflict-affected areas, employment was scarce, medical care was difficult to access and many didn’t have adequate food, shelter or heating.

The recent increase in violence has already made the situation much worse and has spread across the country. Millions of people have now fled their homes and are living in other areas of the country or are seeking asylum in other countries. Humanitarian needs have increased dramatically and is predicted to become much worse. The situation is changing rapidly.

NRC’s operation

NRC is working with local partners providing welcome centres and warm meals to hundreds of people in Lviv, western Ukraine. In Warsaw a transit centre will be constructed and run with partners at the central train station. NRC teams are also providing information and legal assistance to help Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian displaced people obtain protection and access essential services in several locations across the country, including in the eastern and west regions.

NRC is working with a large number of national partners in Poland, Moldova, and Romania, to ensure Ukrainian refugees have somewhere safe to sleep, that children can go to school, and that families are able to access existing national social support systems. NRC will work to provide cash directly to thousands of displaced mothers and fathers so they can take care of the basic needs of their families, both inside Ukraine and when they become refugees.

NRC has also started cross-border operations into Ukraine through neighbouring countries and has so far provided food and other aid supplies along evacuation routes.

Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA)

In 2021, 13,000 people received legal information, counselling, assistance and awareness-raising activities.

• operate two legal aid centres and one intake point at an entry and exit checkpoint
• dispatch mobile teams of lawyers and paralegals to provide basic legal assistance and conduct referrals
• conduct field visits to the settlements along the contact line and settlements hosting internally displaced people
• make home visits to hard-to-reach communities
• run a telephone hotline, a Facebook page, and other mobile tools to provide legal information
• conduct research and advocacy efforts on legal issues concerning displaced civilians and civilians affected by the conflict
• help strengthen the capacity of local lawyers and state-run legal aid centres to support the rights of internally displaced people
   

Livelihoods and food security

 
We work to restore Ukrainians’ food and economic security. In 2021, we assisted 7,725 individuals.

Our livelihoods and food security team:

• provides cash transfers so that people can buy food and meet their basic needs
• provides agricultural assistance to restore production capabilities
• supports local government to improve employability of internally displaced and conflict-affected people

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) promotion

 
We work to make sure that displaced people and civilians along the contact line have access to water, sanitation, and health. In 2021, 70,000 individuals benefited from improved access to sanitation at crossing points and from mitigation measures that prevented the spread of Covid-19.

Our WASH team:

• improves access to water in communities close to the contact line
• works with health and government actors to improve WASH facilities at primary care and social institutions