Knowledge Hub
As the conflict in Ukraine nears its third anniversary, Ukrainian people are preparing for what many have warned may be the harshest winter since fighting began.
From January to August 2024, the UN reports that 7.2 million Ukrainians received humanitarian support. Now as the weather grows colder, the humanitarian situation is expected to deteriorate.
Russian airstrikes have been targeting the country’s energy infrastructure, which means that many Ukrainians have faced and will continue to face the loss of electricity and gas needed to heat their homes. The UNHCR estimates that more than sixty percent of Ukraine’s energy-generating capacity has been damaged, Iand rolling power outages are common across the country.
Yet that isn’t the only risk. At least two million Ukrainians have had their homes damaged or destroyed since the conflict began, and many of the most vulnerable groups – including elderly people, people with disabilities, and those who cannot afford to move elsewhere – continue to live in damaged buildings with broken windows and roofs. As a result, their homes are not winter-proof and cannot offer protection against harsh winds and freezing temperatures.
Winter support in Ukraine is critical for people who are already experiencing dire living conditions and with no means to buy fuel as a result of the relentless shelling and damage to homes. Without this assistance many will be left exposed to subzero temperatures increasing risk and vulnerability, particularly for the elderly and households with children.
Cold weather conditions in Ukraine typically last for half the year – beginning in October and stretching to April. The average temperature ranges from two degrees to minus four degrees Celsius, but it can quickly drop to minus twenty or below.
No other humanitarian crisis in the world is taking place in such a freezing environment.
Concern continues to deliver emergency and long-term support to Ukrainians. In 2023, we reached over 144,000 people through emergency, protection and livelihoods programming as part of the Joint Emergency Response in Ukraine (JERU).
To help Ukrainians stay warm throughout the coldest months of the year, Concern provides cash payments to families to support families with increased utility costs and repairs to winterize homes, as well as provision of solid fuel such as environmentally friendly briquettes and firewood. Last winter, one of Concern’s local partners, We Are Brothers, installed wood-burning stoves and insulation in homes in eastern Ukraine.
Concern has been responding in Ukraine as part of the DEC emergency appeal, which has raised over £438 million to provide food, shelter, cash support, mental health services and other essential aid.
As well as regular school lessons, Concern is supporting children with art and play therapy so they can overcome trauma. This remarkable gift will provide the toys and art supplies children will use to participate in a group counselling session.
By using art, games and psychological techniques, children like Kateryna* in Ukraine who have experienced trauma can develop healthy emotional skills. This includes how to share their emotions and build friendships, which they can carry well past Christmas and long into the future.
Give a one-off, or a monthly, donation today.
From mountain trekking to marathon running, join us for one of our many exciting outdoor events!
With an extensive range of alternative gifts, we have something to suit everybody.
Leave the world a better place with a life-changing legacy.
We partner with a range of organisations that share our passion and the results have been fantastic.
Raise money for Concern by organising your own charity fundraising event.
