When the war in Ukraine escalated in 2022, millions of people were rapidly displaced within the country and across Europe.
NRC in Ukraine
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been present in Ukraine since 2014. We have stepped up our efforts since the escalation of the conflict. By collaborating with our partners, we’ve supported over one million people affected by the ongoing war.
What’s happening in Ukraine?
Eight years of conflict in the east of Ukraine escalated into a full-scale war in February 2022. Since then, towns and cities have come under fire, residential buildings have been reduced to rubble and millions of families have fled for safety.
In 2024, the violence intensified, with sustained aerial attacks on civilians and infrastructure across much of the country. At the same time, fighting on the frontlines led to increased evacuations. As a result, millions of families remain displaced within Ukraine or have sought refuge in neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania. Many more continue to live in unsafe areas, enduring constant shelling and attacks.
Those who remain in the country often lack basic services, since attacks on local infrastructure have disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies. Many are struggling to obtain food, safe housing, healthcare and essential documentation.
Livelihood opportunities are also severely limited. In urban areas, there’s stiff competition for jobs – while in the countryside, many fields remain contaminated by shrapnel. Too many children are missing out on their education. And during the cold winter months, life becomes even more challenging.
Region: Europe
Population: 37.9 million
Total displaced: 8.8 million
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been present in Ukraine since 2014. We have stepped up our efforts since the escalation of the conflict. By collaborating with our partners, we’ve supported over one million people affected by the ongoing war.
What’s happening in Ukraine?
Eight years of conflict in the east of Ukraine escalated into a full-scale war in February 2022. Since then, towns and cities have come under fire, residential buildings have been reduced to rubble and millions of families have fled for safety.
In 2024, the violence intensified, with sustained aerial attacks on civilians and infrastructure across much of the country. At the same time, fighting on the frontlines led to increased evacuations. As a result, millions of families remain displaced within Ukraine or have sought refuge in neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania. Many more continue to live in unsafe areas, enduring constant shelling and attacks.
Those who remain in the country often lack basic services, since attacks on local infrastructure have disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies. Many are struggling to obtain food, safe housing, healthcare and essential documentation.
Livelihood opportunities are also severely limited. In urban areas, there’s stiff competition for jobs – while in the countryside, many fields remain contaminated by shrapnel. Too many children are missing out on their education. And during the cold winter months, life becomes even more challenging.
Our response
We’re working with our partners in the following areas:
- Cash and market – delivering multi-purpose cash assistance, especially in hard-to-reach areas, so that families can meet their essential needs with dignity.
- Water, sanitation and hygiene – providing hygiene kits and repairing infrastructure, so that families have better access to clean water and sanitation.
- Shelters and settlements – providing emergency shelter kits, repair assistance for homes, electronic vouchers for construction supplies and rental support, as well as winter aid such as fuel, heating appliances, warm clothing and extra financial assistance.
- Livelihoods and food security – providing immediate food assistance in frontline areas through cash vouchers and in-kind support, as well as supporting small-scale farming, providing grants for small businesses and connecting people with job opportunities.
- Education – helping children and young people to access formal and non-formal education opportunities, providing safe learning environments, and offering vital psychosocial support.
- Protection from violence – strengthening community-led self-protection measures in conflict-affected areas, as well as providing specialised protection services for those who have been displaced.
- Information, counselling and legal assistance – providing legal advice on housing, land and property, legal identity, registration, employment law, and access to essential services.
Our operations
NRC office established: 2014
Areas of operation: Country office: Kyiv. Area offices: Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv. Field offices: Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Zaporizhzhia
Country Director: Roberto Vila-Sexto
Contact: ua.info@nrc.no
Our impact
In 2024, we assisted 285,277 people through our programmes in Ukraine:
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32,567Education
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17,774Livelihoods and food security
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37,671Shelter and settlements
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6,526Protection from violence
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26,907Information, counselling and legal assistance
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50,006Water, sanitation and hygiene
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143,827Multi-purpose cash assistance
Note: some people received more than one type of assistance.
