As Ukraine marks three years of war, Action Against Hunger today confirmed that the U.S. government’s suspension of international aid has caused the nonprofit to stop distributing cash to families displaced near the front line. An estimated nine million Ukrainians live in poverty and as many as 12.7 million, or 40% of the population, depend on humanitarian aid to survive.
Humanitarian operations in the region were already functioning with limited resources and struggling to access frontline areas. With funding now slashed, around 20,000 people in these high-risk zones could face severe consequences. “As a result of this suspension, access to healthcare could become very limited for 18,000 people living in remote areas and in precarious conditions. We had to interrupt psychological support sessions for displaced and traumatized children and teenagers, and around 1,800 people in highly vulnerable situations may no longer receive financial support to cover their basic needs,” explains Ionuț Raita, Director of Action Against Hunger in Ukraine.
Ukraine is experiencing one of the world’s largest displacement crises, with 6.8 million people having fled the country and 3.6 million internally displaced since February 2022. More than 80% of the displaced have been dependent on humanitarian aid for more than a year, but are struggling to find sustainable solutions to their precarious situation.
“With the advance of Russian forces in the second half of 2024, more than 200,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Housing is difficult to access, leaving many people vulnerable,” explains Raita.
The destruction of agricultural and industrial infrastructure coupled with the closure of businesses has led to a 22% unemployment rate in regions close to the front line, and rising prices and loss of livelihoods in these areas threaten intense food insecurity.
The conflict has also severely disrupted access to healthcare services. Repeated attacks on health infrastructures and shortages of medicines and personnel are further limiting access to care. To meet these challenges, Action Against Hunger set up mobile health teams that travel to hard-to-reach areas in the Dnipro and Kharkiv regions. This team, made up of a doctor, a nurse, a midwife, and a gynecologist, provides health care and medicines to the most vulnerable people.
Mental health has plummeted, with the threat of air strikes, displacement, and the loss of loved ones and livelihoods causing deep distress. Ten million people are likely to suffer from mental disorders in the short to medium term, and the mental health of children, who have been deprived of formal education for four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war, is particularly at risk.
“Every air raid alarm not only increases the anxiety of Ukrainian children, but also their loss of learning. For children who no longer have access to schools, distance learning is made difficult by unstable Internet connections and power cuts caused by air strikes”, explains Raita.
Action against Hunger has been active in Ukraine since March 2022, focusing on the eastern part of the country and working in Dnipro, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts. The organization supported 675,364 people in 2023, providing support for health, mental health and psychosocial care, water, hygiene and sanitation, as well as food security and livelihoods. The organization has also prioritized psychosocial support for people suffering from stress and trauma, reaching 12,457 people in 2023.
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Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 59 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.
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