In addition to the humanitarian aid intended for the victims of the war on Ukrainian territory, the UN intends to help the refugees who have left the country to settle elsewhere in Europe.
“Almost a year later, the war continues to cause death, destruction and displacement every day, and on a staggering scale.” Faced with the situation in Ukraine, the UN requested, on Wednesday 15 February, the sum of 5.6 billion dollars (5.2 billion euros) to cover the humanitarian needs this year of 11.1 million people in Ukraine and 4.2 million refugees elsewhere in Europe. In detail, the United Nations humanitarian agencies will require 3.9 billion dollars (3.62 billion euros) for aid in Ukraine and 1.7 billion dollars (1.57 billion euros) for the refugees.
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“We must do everything in our power to reach the hardest-to-reach communities, including those close to the frontline. The suffering of the Ukrainian people is far from over – they continue to need international support.”said Martin Griffiths, the head of UN humanitarian operations.
More than 3 billion euros in aid in 2022
Most of the aid for the refugees will go to Poland, the main host country in Eastern Europe, and to Moldova, through which many people transit before going elsewhere in Europe. As of January, around 4.9 million Ukrainians had registered under the EU temporary protection scheme or comparable schemes in other European countries following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, according to the UN. About 86% of refugees are women and children.
In its appeal for funds, the UN stresses that the war in Ukraine “has profoundly affected access to livelihoods and disrupted market stability, particularly in the south and eastern oblasts, further aggravating humanitarian suffering”. In 2022, the UN had received 80% of the 4.3 billion dollars (4.03 billion euros) requested for aid in Ukraine. The appeal for support for refugees – which amounted to 1.79 billion dollars (1.68 billion euros) – had been funded to the tune of 71%.