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Country analysis

Ukraine


After the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2014, in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion from Russian and Belarusian territory into northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine. This has resulted in mass displacement within Ukraine and abroad, mostly to the EU.

As at January 2024, six million refugees from Ukraine remained abroad. As at December 2023, the country had 3.5 million registered IDPs, with 110,000 in collective sites. At the same time, 4.5 million displaced people had temporarily or permanently moved back to their places of residence. They often report the heavy destruction of houses and infrastructure and constrained access to utilities and basic services. As at August 2023, the war had damaged or destroyed 1.4 million homes, mostly in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia.

In 2024, 14.6 million people are estimated to need humanitarian assistance, including the 3.3 million living in the frontline settlements in eastern and southern Ukraine. They face the most severe needs, including protection, shelter, WASH, and livelihoods. The main unmet needs for those in other areas are healthcare, livelihoods, and protection. In 2022, seven million people had fallen below the poverty line of USD 6.85 per day given the conflict's socioeconomic impact.

(Atlantic Council 14/02/2023, UNHCR accessed 30/01/2024, OCHA 03/01/2024, IOM 16/01/2024, WB 30/11/2023)

After the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2014, in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion from Russian and Belarusian territory into northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine. This has resulted in mass displacement within Ukraine and abroad, mostly to the EU.

As at January 2024, six million refugees from Ukraine remained abroad. As at December 2023, the country had 3.5 million registered IDPs, with 110,000 in collective sites. At the same time, 4.5 million displaced people had temporarily or permanently moved back to their places of residence. They often report the heavy destruction of houses and infrastructure and constrained access to utilities and basic services. As at August 2023, the war had damaged or destroyed 1.4 million homes, mostly in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia.

In 2024, 14.6 million people are estimated to need humanitarian assistance, including the 3.3 million living in the frontline settlements in eastern and southern Ukraine. They face the most severe needs, including protection, shelter, WASH, and livelihoods. The main unmet needs for those in other areas are healthcare, livelihoods, and protection. In 2022, seven million people had fallen below the poverty line of USD 6.85 per day given the conflict's socioeconomic impact.

(Atlantic Council 14/02/2023, UNHCR accessed 30/01/2024, OCHA 03/01/2024, IOM 16/01/2024, WB 30/11/2023)

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17 September 2024

On 20 August 2024, the authorities announced a mandatory evacuation in Pokrovska hromada, Donetska oblast, as a response to increased hostilities and a shifting front line. Until 12 September, 28,000 people remained living there with no access to essential services. There was no gas supply, and the water pumping station had stopped functioning. The last civilian hospital in Pokrovsk town evacuated on 7 September. (OCHA 12/09/2024, MSF 06/09/2024)

08 July 2024

On 8 July 2024, Russian forces launched a combined missile attack on several Ukrainian cities, killing at least 43 and injuring over 170. 70% of the casualties were in Kyiv city. The attacks also damaged several civilian facilities, including kindergartens, a college, and two hospitals in Dnipro, Kramatorsk, Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv, and Sloviansk cities. The damage to the children’s hospital in Kyiv city has affected critical healthcare access as it was the largest in the country, conducting 7,000 surgeries yearly and providing cancer and haematological treatment. More than 600 patients have had to evacuate, with over 100 transferred to other facilities. Over 90% of civilian casualties and more than 95% of damage to educational and health facilities continue to take place in areas under the control of the Ukrainian Government. (The Kyiv Independent 09/07/2024, CNN 08/07/2024, OHCHR 07/06/2024)

21 May 2024

On 20 May 2024, Ukraine introduced countrywide energy supply restrictions for households and industries as a result of significant power shortage. Widespread Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities between March–May 2024 reduced Ukraine's thermal power generation capacity by 80%. The emergency blackouts are scheduled during late evenings and nights and are likely to last until August. (NYT 20/05/2024, Kyiv Independent 16/05/2024, Reuters 13/05/2024)

14 May 2024

On 10 May 2024, Russian forces launched a cross-border offensive in Kharkivska oblast. Settlements near the border are under increased shelling, especially Vovchansk town. By 15 May, the offensive had killed at least eight civilians and injured 35. An estimated 8,000 people, including more than 600 children, had evacuated from frontline and border hromadas. Over 14,000 people (out of 60,000) were estimated to have fled from Derhachivska, Lypetska, Starosaltivska, Tsyrkunivska, Vovchanska, and Zolochivska hromadas. Humanitarians and volunteers transported 2,100 civilians to Kharkiv city, who registered at the city’s transit centre. Another 1,700 registered after self-evacuating. Needs include hygiene supplies, clothes, bedding, and other everyday items, as well as cash assistance and mental health and psychosocial services. Many, especially older people, waited until the last moment to evacuate and left behind phones and documents. Attacks on critical infrastructure disrupted electricity access for 200,000 families. (OCHA 14/05/2024, OCHA 15/05/2024, IRC 13/05/2024)

02 January 2024

Over 40 people were killed and more than 220 injured in massive Russian airstrikes across Ukraine between 29 December 2023 and 2 January 2024. Among the targeted locations were the cities of Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia, as well as villages and towns in Chernihivska, Dnipropetrovska, Donetska, Kharkivska, Khersonska, Sumska, and Zaporizka oblasts. The most affected areas were cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv and frontline communities. Missiles, drones, and associated debris caused damage and destruction to homes, schools, warehouses, and hospitals. The attacks caused further disruption to electricity, water supply, and public transport. Air raid sirens and damage to homes forced hundreds of thousands of people to take shelter or evacuate. In Donetska oblast, where more than 120 localities were already without electricity, damage to a power plant has disrupted electricity production. In Kyiv city and oblast, damage to the overhead line left over 260,000 people without power supply. (Pravda 02/01/2024, OCHA 01/01/2024, The Kyiv Independent 02/01/2024)

05 December 2023

In Luhansk oblast, critical access to vaccination against tuberculosis for newborns has been delayed by several months. Vaccines against diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus are also unavailable in some cities. Almost all medical facilities have been turned into military hospitals, and most medical care can be obtained only with a Russian passport. (Suspilne 04/12/2023, Luhansk VTSA Telegram 04/08/2023, OCHA 06/11/2023)

28 November 2023

As at November 2023, food access was constrained in 80% of settlements near the front line in Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts. More than 900,000 people live within 30km of the front line, where active fighting has resulted in acute humanitarian needs and challenging and uncertain humanitarian access. Access to Russian-controlled areas remains extremely constrained. (UNSC 21/11/2023, OCHA 23/11/2023)

current crises
in Ukraine


These crises have been identified through the INFORM Severity Index, a tool for measuring and comparing the severity of humanitarian crises globally.

Read more about the Index

UKR002 - Russia-Ukraine conflict

Last updated 28/09/2024


Drivers

Conflict
Displacement

Crisis level

Country

Severity level

4.5 Very High

Access constraints

5.0

Analysis products
on Ukraine

Ukraine: Humanitarian impact of increased hostilities in Donetska oblast

17 September 2024

Ukraine: Humanitarian impact of increased hostilities in Donetska oblast

DOCUMENT / PDF / 544 KB

In August 2024, the Russian military made its biggest monthly territorial gains in Ukraine since October 2022. As the security and humanitarian situation deteriorates, displacement continues. Almost 50,000 people were evacuated from Donetska oblast in August; still, many have not evacuated facing disruptions to critical services. 

Conflict and violence
Ukraine: energy infrastructure attacks -outlook and impact during 2024–2025 cold season

13 September 2024

Ukraine: energy infrastructure attacks -outlook and impact during 2024–2025 cold season

DOCUMENT / PDF / 955 KB

This report aims to highlight the current and expected damage and destruction of energy infrastructure and anticipate the impact on the living conditions of people in general but especially the most affected groups during the cold season from October 2024 to April 2025.

Conflict and violence
Ukraine: overview of child protection risks

21 August 2024

Ukraine: overview of child protection risks

DOCUMENT / PDF / 454 KB

This report explores the key protection risks that children in Ukraine are facing and thevulnerabilities of different groups of children to these risks.  It aims to provide an improved understanding of child protection risks for humanitarians to develop more targeted interventions addressing the specific challenges that different groups of conflict-affected children are facing.
 

AudioProtection
Ukraine: Duty of care - operating in high-risk and frontline areas

21 August 2024

Ukraine: Duty of care - operating in high-risk and frontline areas

DOCUMENT / PDF / 260 KB

This report aims to highlight the duty of care challenges that humanitarian responders and volunteers face, particularly those responding in high-risk frontline and occupied areas in Ukraine, with a specific focus on NNGOs and volunteers.

AudioConflict and violence
Ukraine: Exploring vulnerabilities through the lens of protection risks

01 August 2024

Ukraine: Exploring vulnerabilities through the lens of protection risks

DOCUMENT / PDF / 2 MB

This report presents the impact of selected protection threats on specific population groups and identifies vulnerabilities among these groups to protection risks in Ukraine between February 2022 and May 2024. 

Protection
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