Act for humanity: Protect civilians and aid workers in Ukraine

Rescue service workers, volunteers and medical personnel work together to clear debris and search for survivors after a Russian missile hit the Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo: OCHA/Viktoriia Andriievska.

By Viktoriia Andriievska and Tanya Lyubimova

This year’s theme for World Humanitarian Day (WHD), 19 August, underscores the critical importance of respecting international humanitarian law (IHL), which requires the protection of civilians and the humanitarian workers who assist them during war.

WHD features a global call to #ActForHumanity and protect civilians, which resonates strongly with the ongoing humanitarian situation in Ukraine. IHL is clear on the obligations to protect civilians, but millions of people bear the brunt of the violence every day as the war continues.

The humanitarian community in Ukraine organized a photo exhibition that portrays the war’s devastating impact on civilians and humanitarian workers operating near the front line. Here, we feature a selection of these images.

More than 2 million homes have been damaged or destroyed across Ukraine.

A woman stands in front of her destroyed home in Mykolaiv, Ukraine

Artillery fire destroyed Valentyna’s house in the Mykolaiv Region. Photo: UNHCR/Felicia Monteverde Holmgren

"I was away when my house was destroyed," says Valentyna, a teacher from Kyselivka village who now works online. Unable to repair her home, Valentyna converted her animal shed into living quarters. Aid workers provided her with emergency cash to purchase a door, windows, roofing and construction materials, basic furniture and household items.

According to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, the homes of more than 2 million families have been damaged or destroyed across Ukraine due to continued attacks since February 2022.

Health-care facilities have suffered almost 2,000 attacks since 24 February 2022.

Iryna stands inside a heavily damaged facility in Dnipro, Ukraine

Iryna is a doctor and the Director of the maternity care centre in Dnipro City, which was heavily damaged by a strike. Photo: OCHA/Viktoriia Andriievska

"Just a day before our maternity care centre was hit, I had been there helping a woman deliver her baby. The next day, our centre was destroyed," says Iryna, the centre’s Director. She is devastated that a modern and bustling facility is now in ruins.

The war is having an enormous impact on health care in Ukraine. The World Health Organization has verified 1,920 attacks on health care since 24 February 2022, resulting in 161 deaths and 498 injuries as of 13 August 2024. The most recent incidents include a missile strike that destroyed the Ohmatdyt National Children's Hospital, and attacks that damaged health facilities in Kyiv.

The premises of a local hospital and ambulances were destroyed in a Russian strike in Zolochiv Town, Kharkiv Region. Photo: Humanitarian Mission Proliska

The war is severely disrupting education and undermining children’s future.

"Of 11 schools in our town, 6 have been destroyed," says Olesia, an elementary school teacher from the Kharkiv Region. Her classroom is now in ruins.

The war is severely disrupting education and undermining children’s future. The Ukrainian government reports that some 4,000 educational institutions have been damaged and 365 destroyed.

Olesia, a local teacher in the Kharkiv Region, stands in her destroyed classroom. Photo: Save the Children/Anstasiia Zahoskina"

Aid workers often operate in areas where conditions are perilous and needs are most acute.

The war continues to disrupt and destroy lives and exacerbate humanitarian needs across Ukraine. According to the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Ukraine, 14.6 million people, including 3.2 million children, urgently require humanitarian assistance.

Local aid workers are at the forefront of the response. Their efforts are critical in reaching people most in need, especially in areas along the front line, where people have little to no capacity to provide for themselves.

These dedicated people risk their lives daily while their own families grapple with the impact of the war.

“I will continue as long as it’s needed, because people need help,” says Iryna. She works day and night to support people displaced by the intensified hostilities that took place in the Kharkiv Region in May 2024. She joined a local humanitarian organization last year following the death of her husband. He was a front-line response volunteer killed during an aid distribution.

The international community’s support is vital in responding to people’s needs, but it is not enough. Protecting civilians and aid workers must be a priority. IHL is clear: civilians must be protected. The deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian objects, including hospitals, schools and humanitarian facilities, is a serious violation of international law.

World leaders must not forget the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, they must not normalize the war, and they must increase efforts to ensure that civilians are protected, humanitarian aid is provided and, ultimately, a path to lasting peace is in place.

*This story was originally published in OCHA exposure.

The images featured in this story are part of a photo exhibition at the Kyiv Architect’s House, 7 Hrinchenka Street, Kyiv and online. The exhibition runs until 1 September 2024.