Ukraine: Humanitarian Response and Funding Snapshot (January - April 2024) [EN/UK]

SITUATION UPDATE

In April, humanitarian needs in Ukraine continued unabated as a result of intense fighting in front-line and border areas as well as strikes in large urban centres like Chernihiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and other towns, causing civilian casualties and damage to houses and critical civilian infrastructure. Attacks disrupted electricity and water supply, leaving hundreds of thousands without essential services. Education and health facilities were also impacted in Dnipropetrovska,
Donetska and Zaporizka oblasts, where residents were already struggling to access basic services, further exacerbating the need for humanitarian support.

As of the end of April 2024, 4.4 million people in Ukraine have been reached with humanitarian assistance by 495 organizations, 900,000 of them in April alone. With growing needs, humanitarian organizations focused on supporting front-line or neighbouring oblasts in the east, south and north-east and provided over 2.3 million people with food and livelihood support, including seeds and livestock. Also, 3.4 million people were provided with access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, including through the support of water systems and emergency water supply. More than 1 million people received vital medicines and health care. Aid organizations delivered materials for emergency repairs of damaged buildings and vital supplies to affected families, assisting over 800,000 people. With an increased number of people internally displaced, partners scaled up protection efforts, offering counselling, legal assistance, mental health and psycho-social support.

Aid workers also assisted nearly half of the displaced people residing in collective sites. The response to address gender-based violence continued, and approaches to support education and child protection activities were adjusted to support both those who had to leave their homes months ago and those who had to flee recently. In addition, partners provided multi-purpose cash assistance and mine action support.

Support to some front-line communities was also provided through inter-agency convoys, reaching nearly 7,000 people in April alone. Since the start of 2024, partners delivered 18 convoys to Donetska, Kharkivska, Khersonska and Zaporizka oblasts.

Only 18 per cent of the US$3.1 billion requested under the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan was received in the first four months of 2024. Some critical sectors are significantly underfunded.

Predictable and timely funding is essential for aid workers to be able to meet growing needs in areas where they arise.