• Crisis Severity ?
    4.3
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Impact ?
    4.6
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Humanitarian Conditions ?
    5.0
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Complexity ?
    2.8
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Access Constraints ?
    4.0
    No constraints
    Extreme constraints
See all indicators

Key figures

  • 36,468,000 Total population [?]
  • 19,089,000 People displaced [?]
  • 17,541,000 People in Need [?]
  • 1,403,000 Severe humanitarian conditions - Level 4 [?]

Special Reports

13/02/2023

Special Reports

22/12/2022

Overview

25/04/2023

Conflict in Ukraine escalated on 24 February 2022 when the Russian military invaded the country after being stationed for months on the Ukrainian border. The conflict is causing civilian casualties and significant damage to critical infrastructure, particularly in and close to areas of active conflict in the southern and southeastern regions. During winter, Russian offences and air strikes targeted energy infrastructure, including power and heating supplies. Reconstruction and recovery cost is estimated at over USD 400 billion.?

Insecurity is also forcing people to leave their homes. Most of those seeking refuge abroad are women and children, as martial law requires men aged 18–60 to remain in the country. More than eight million refugees from Ukraine are either in neighbouring countries (such as Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia) or have travelled further to other countries. Hostilities and insecurity had also displaced close to six million people within Ukraine as at the end of 2022.?

People have high needs for healthcare services in many areas, such as Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts, where hospitals, healthcare centres, and pharmacies have been damaged. Elderly people are the most vulnerable and need medicine for non-communicable diseases and chronic conditions.?

The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has increased from 2.9 million before 24 February 2022 to 17.6 million in 2023, with numbers expected to continue increasing because of continuing hostilities. The severity of needs is highest in the south and the east in the most conflict-affected areas. Over 5.5 million displaced people moved back temporarily or permanently and have high needs across all sectors, given the extensive destruction of critical infrastructure. Over five million people remained internally displaced as at January 2023.?

INFORM measures Ukraine's risk of humanitarian crisis and disaster to be high, at 5.1/10 ?

Latest Developments

20/04/2023
Overall, 10.7 million people in Ukraine need mine action assistance in 2023. The total estimated area contaminated with explosive ordnance because of the conflict is around 174,000km2. Mine contamination is affecting safety and livelihoods. In March alone, mines killed more than 200 people. Conflict and mine contamination means that around 25% of agricultural land is not accessible. ?

Humanitarian Access

18/12/2022

VERY HIGH CONSTRAINTS

Although highly constrained, since July, humanitarian access has been improving in Ukraine as areas become newly accessible following advances by Ukrainian forces. At the same time, humanitarian access and operations in NGCAs continue to be severely restricted, with little detailed information on the nature of the constraints. In the rest of the country, the increased targeting of critical civilian infrastructure is driving safety and security risks for civilians and humanitarians. The majority of Kharkiv oblast, some areas of Kherson (Beryslav raion and Kherson city), and Mykolaiv oblast have become newly accessible for humanitarians after they were retaken by Ukrainian forces. Using the only recognised crossing between government-controlled areas (GCAs) and NGCAs (via the Vasylivka NGCA and Kamianske GCA checkpoints in Zaporizhzhia oblast) has become more time-consuming for civilians since the claimed ‘annexation’ of NGCAs by the Russian Federation on 30 September. Since then, documentation requirements and extensive searches by Russian forces on civilians wishing to leave the NGCA have been reported, and the rate of people crossing into the GCA has significantly dropped. Heightened risks related to active conflict and shelling hamper humanitarian access in frontline areas. Military checkpoints also prevent humanitarians from accessing certain frontline communities. In areas with heavier shelling, civilians’ access to services is restricted by the risk they must take to reach aid distribution points. Even when an area becomes newly accessible, constraints remain high given the heavy presence of mines and UXO and severe damage to civilian infrastructure.

For more information you can consult our latest Global Humanitarian Access Overview – December 2022. 

 

Background: Before the February 2022 escalation

11/05/2022

Tensions in Ukraine started at the end of 2013 in Kyiv following the decision of former president Viktor Yanukovych to refuse an association agreement with the EU. Protests in different cities were severely repressed, and armed conflicts broke out in mid-May 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and started backing armed groups in the eastern regions of Ukraine. Since then, the Ukrainian armed forces and these armed groups have been fighting along a contact line separating government-controlled areas from non-government-controlled areas in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Between 2014 and the end of September 2021, more than 3,000 civilians have died, and over 7,000 people have been injured because of the conflict in the east of Ukraine. Prior to the February 2022 escalation, 2.9 million people were estimated to be in need, mainly in the east of Ukraine. About 1.46 million people were displaced as at mid-December 2021.?

Key Priorities

09/09/2022

WASH: About 16 million people are estimated to need access to safe WASH services in March–December 2022, with more people expected to be in need of WASH in the upcoming months. Shelling has damaged water treatment facilities, pipelines, and pumps, limiting repairs. Power cuts affecting water pumps and the inability to pay for hygiene products further aggravate WASH needs of the affected population.?

About 1.4 million people have no access to safe water in eastern Ukraine, and an additional 4.6 million have only limited access as a result of the conflict and attacks on water and electricity infrastructure.?

Food security and livelihood: About 9.3 million people are estimated to need access to food and livelihood services in March–December 2022, with more people expected to be in need of FSL in the upcoming months. According to early estimations, at least 20% of people in Ukraine are currently facing food shortages. There is increased reliance on coping strategies such as reducing food intake and the number of meals. The conflict has disrupted normal food supply chains. Farmers face challenges delivering their produce to markets because of fuel shortages and disruptions in commercial transportation.?

Health: About 14.5 million people are estimated to be in need of health and 700,000 people of nutrition assistance in March–Decmber 2022; this figure is likely to increase as a result of continuing hostilities. Power shortages, lack of medicines and medical supplies, understaffing, damaged infrastructure, and disruptions to water systems have affected the functioning of health facilities.?

Protection: About 17.7 million people are estimated to be in need of access to protection services in March–December 2022; this figure is likely to increase because of continuing hostilities. The conflict resulted in civilian casualties and displacements, as well as protection risks for the population, including human rights violations, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, limited freedom of movement (especially between non-government-controlled areas and government-controlled areas), and the presence of unexploded explosive ordnance (especially near the contact line).?

Shelter and NFI:  About 11.2 million people are estimated to be in need of access to shelter and NFI services in March–December 2022; this figure is likely to increase because of continuing hostilities. The conflict resulted in civilian casualties and displacements. At least 7 million people have been internally displaced, with some taking refuge in public spaces and reception centres with inadequate amenities. Many IDPs are located in western regions, which has strained public resources in these areas. The cost of rent in western regions has also risen, making accommodation unaffordable for many IDPs.?

Information Gaps

11/05/2022

  • Limited up-to-date information on humanitarian needs in Ukraine as access is very limited, especially in hard-to-reach areas.  

  • Limited up-to-date information on the demographics and location of people in conflict-affected areas.  

  • Limited up-to-date information on gender-specific needs by location. 

  • Limited information on the needs of people displaced to Russia. 

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Source: ACAPS Ukraine Analysis Hub
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