Ukraine emergency
In response to the massive humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine, UNHCR is working with national authorities, UN agencies, displaced communities and local and international partners to provide urgently needed assistance.
Our teams are present inside Ukraine, in neighbouring countries and beyond to protect and assist people forced to flee.
More than 8 million
refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe (as of February 2023)
~17.6 million
people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance inside Ukraine
More than 5 million
people estimated to be displaced inside Ukraine
Last updated 31 January 2023 - Visit the UNHCR Ukraine Situation Data Portal for more statistics
“Donors – governments, business, and private individuals – have been incredibly generous over the past year. This must be sustained if we are to provide people with the support they urgently need today and for the coming year. I hope all our donors will continue to enable the response to these humanitarian needs.”
– Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
What is happening in Ukraine?
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused civilian casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure, forcing people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance. Millions of refugees from Ukraine have crossed borders into neighbouring countries, in addition to those displaced inside the country. They are in urgent need of protection and support.
If you are a refugee and need help, click here for more information.
An estimated 17.6 million people in Ukraine require urgent humanitarian support, including more than 5 million people internally displaced by the war. As of February 2023, over 8 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded across Europe, of which 4.8 million were registered for Temporary Protection or similar national protection schemes.
For latest data, please visit our UNHCR Ukraine Situation Data Portal
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has been working in Ukraine since 1994, alongside local authorities, NGO partners and community organizations to deliver protection and humanitarian assistance to people in need.
What is UNHCR doing to help?
UNHCR staff are present across Ukraine and are committed to stay and deliver assistance whenever and wherever access and security allow. Our teams have expanded their operations further to the east and south to hard-to-reach and recently retaken areas where the needs remain acute, as conditions allow.
We are delivering aid and support to people forced to flee. Inside Ukraine, the needs remain enormous, with more than 17 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNHCR is working with local and international partners to deliver cash and in-kind assistance to war-affected civilians, giving emergency shelter repair kits to those with damaged homes, carrying out housing repairs, and providing legal support and psychological counselling for those suffering the trauma of war. To date, we have provided more than 4 million people in the country with humanitarian assistance.
In neighbouring countries, the war has prompted an unparalleled outpouring of solidarity and support across states, within host communities, and among families who have opened their doors or donated time and resources to welcome refugees from Ukraine. UNHCR is leading the coordination of almost 250 partner organizations, including UN agencies and national and international NGOs, as part of the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) in support of Governments’ responses.
UNHCR together with UNICEF, authorities and partners have established a network of Blue Dot Safe Space, Protection and Support Hubs in key refugee-hosting areas. Blue Dots provide a safe space, as well as support and referrals for health care, education, psychosocial assistance and more. Blue Dots bring together critical protection services and information for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, with a particular focus on children and those at greatest risk, including unaccompanied and separated children, persons with disabilities, cases of suspected trafficking, survivors of sexual or gender-based violence and refugees from the LGBTIQ+ community.
We remain firmly committed to protect and help all affected populations in Ukraine and countries in the region. The response of donors from both the private and public sectors, as well as the hospitality that refugees have received from neighbouring countries, is outstanding – but even more support is needed to provide people forced to flee with the assistance they need to recover from their trauma and start to rebuild their lives.
To find the latest figures, please visit the UNHCR Ukraine Situation Data portal. For information on UNHCR's operational response, budgets and funding, please visit the Ukraine situation page on Global Focus.