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Country analysis

Ukraine


Armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine started in 2014 after Russia invaded Crimea in southern Ukraine and, later that year, the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The conflict escalated in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion from Russian and Belarusian territory into northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine, resulting in mass displacement within Ukraine and abroad, mostly to the EU.

More than six million refugees from Ukraine have travelled to neighbouring countries or farther. As at the end of 2022, hostilities and insecurity had displaced close to six million people within Ukraine. As at May 2023, over five million people remained internally displaced.

The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance increased from 2.9 million before 24 February 2022 to 17.6 million in 2023. More than 4.7 million displaced people have moved back temporarily or permanently, and they have high needs across all sectors given the extensive destruction of critical infrastructure. Over seven million people have fallen into poverty because of the negative socioeconomic impact of the conflict.

(Atlantic Council 14/02/2023, OCHA 28/12/2022, UNHCR accessed 03/08/2023, IOM accessed 03/08/2023, WB 23/03/2023

Armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine started in 2014 after Russia invaded Crimea in southern Ukraine and, later that year, the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The conflict escalated in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion from Russian and Belarusian territory into northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine, resulting in mass displacement within Ukraine and abroad, mostly to the EU.

More than six million refugees from Ukraine have travelled to neighbouring countries or farther. As at the end of 2022, hostilities and insecurity had displaced close to six million people within Ukraine. As at May 2023, over five million people remained internally displaced.

The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance increased from 2.9 million before 24 February 2022 to 17.6 million in 2023. More than 4.7 million displaced people have moved back temporarily or permanently, and they have high needs across all sectors given the extensive destruction of critical infrastructure. Over seven million people have fallen into poverty because of the negative socioeconomic impact of the conflict.

(Atlantic Council 14/02/2023, OCHA 28/12/2022, UNHCR accessed 03/08/2023, IOM accessed 03/08/2023, WB 23/03/2023

Latest updates on country situation

21 September 2023

A mass attack on the energy infrastructure by the Russian military on 21 September 2023, as the cold season approaches, damaged 40 buildings and disrupted power across Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Rivne, and Zhytomyr oblasts. Preparations and repairs for mass attacks against energy production infrastructure during winter have been in place, but the energy sector has experienced significant damage since 2022. (Atlantic Council 22/09/2023)

19 September 2023

A Russian air strike on 19 September 2023 destroyed the warehouse of Caritas-Spes in western Lviv oblast of Ukraine. The attack burnt 300 tonnes of the humanitarian supplies stored in the warehouse, which included vital winterisation aid (such as generators), food, and clothes. (OCHA 19/09/2023, Interfax-Ukraine 19/09/2023)

11 September 2023

On 9 September 2023, two volunteers died and two others received injuries in Chasiv Yar (Donetsk oblast) when shelling struck the car they were driving. Over 20 instances of attacks on humanitarian facilities and responders, including volunteers, have been publicly reported since June 2023. These attacks have killed at least five responders and volunteers and injured 30 more. (Road to Relief Instagram 09/09/2023, Kyiv Independent 10/09/2023, ACAPS accessed 11/09/2023)

05 September 2023

The authorities have evacuated almost 1,500 people, including 340 children, from across Kupiansk city and 53 settlements of Kupianskyi raion in Kharkiv oblast. Intensified hostilities since early August 2023 have significantly deteriorated living conditions. The majority of evacuated people are arriving in Kharkiv city and need shelter, food, water, hygiene, and household items. Many are traumatised and require therapy. Most of the arrivals are women and children, with older people and people with disabilities more likely to remain behind. The widespread destruction of facilities and lack of medicine or personnel in Kupianskyi raion are extremely constraining access to health services. Markets have also been largely disrupted. Repeated attacks limit access to water and energy supply despite continuous repairs. The Ukrainian forces retook the areas under evacuation in September 2022. These areas have faced increased shelling since the start of August 2023, when Russian forces mounted a new attack. (Kupiansk Military Administration Telegram 10/08/2023, OCHA 31/08/2023, The Guardian 29/08/2023)

18 July 2023

Of the 33 million tonnes of agricultural products exported from Ukraine through the grain deal since 2022, 725,000 tonnes went to WFP food programmes alone. Following delays in inspection and the blocking of one port, Russia did not extend the grain deal on 17 July, causing an immediate surge in global food prices on the same day. (Bloomberg 17/07/2023, CNBC 17/07/2023, UN accessed 18/07/2023)

09 June 2023

The flooding that followed the explosion of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine on 6 June 2023 has caused the displacement of at least 17,000 people. Water supply disruption alone could affect over one million people. IDPs need clean drinking water, shelter, healthcare, and cash assistance. (ACAPS 09/06/2023)

07 June 2023

The flooding that followed the explosion of Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine on 6 June 2023 has affected at least 42,000 people. At least seven people have gone missing. The flooding will likely displace more people and limit their access to safe drinking water, food, shelter, and livelihoods. (IRC 06/06/2023, Reuters 07/06/2023, Al Jazeera accessed 07/06/2023)

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 - Conflict

Last updated 29/08/2023


Drivers

Conflict
Displacement

Crisis level

Country

Severity level

4.3 Very High

Access constraints

5.0

Analysis products
on Ukraine

Ukraine: impact of the conflict on the healthcare system

22 September 2023

Ukraine: impact of the conflict on the healthcare system

DOCUMENT / PDF / 1 MB

This report looks at the impact of the conflict on the healthcare system and sheds light on the situation for certain population groups with specific needs because of their gender, age, disability, or condition. It is meant to highlight priority needs by population group or condition and complement the humanitarian health information landscape to support the response.

UkraineConflict and violenceHealth
Ukraine: regional overview of Ukrainian refugees in host countries

05 September 2023

Ukraine: regional overview of Ukrainian refugees in host countries

DOCUMENT / PDF / 2 MB

This report provides an overview of the situation of refugees from Ukraine in six host countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. The report aims to compare the scale of displacement in each country and their response capacity.

UkraineDisplacement

Attached resources

Ukraine: estimates and sources of population data

18 August 2023

Ukraine: estimates and sources of population data

DOCUMENT / PDF / 4 MB

This report seeks to provide humanitarian responders and stakeholders with an understanding of the characteristics, including the strengths and limitations, of each source on population figures. The aim is to facilitate using the most relevant databases in humanitarian analysis and response planning.

Ukraine: Quarterly humanitarian access update

13 July 2023

Ukraine: Quarterly humanitarian access update

DOCUMENT / PDF / 4 MB

This report aims to compare access challenges across different oblasts in Ukraine to inform humanitarian responders and support their decision-making. It is part of our quarterly analysis of access constraints; our previous report was published on 16 March 2023

Conflict and violence
Ukraine: scenarios possible developments in people’s basic needs and coping capacity

03 July 2023

Ukraine: scenarios possible developments in people’s basic needs and coping capacity

DOCUMENT / PDF / 3 MB

The four scenarios consider four different yet plausible futures for Ukraine over the coming 12 months. These scenarios do not describe the imagined futures in detail but consider key differences in the conflict, governance, and economic environments and the extent to which and how people’s personal safety, needs, and coping strategies might change. 

Conflict and violence
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Interactive dashboards

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