Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

UNHCR aims to provide lifesaving humanitarian aid and urgent protection assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) inside Ukraine and refugees from Ukraine who have sought safety in the Region. (Contribution to SDGs 1, 5, 11, 16)

Expected results

R1: Refugees have access to territory, registration, and documentation;

R2: Displaced persons are protected from gender-based violence;

R3: Displaced children receive necessary protection;

R4: Displaced persons' well-being and basic needs are met;

R5: Displaced persons have access to housing/shelter.

Target group / Beneficiaries

Austria’s contribution will help UNHCR reach an estimate 34,650 IDPs in Ukraine and refugees outside of the country with critical humanitarian assistance and protection.

In Ukraine: UNHCR aims to provide humanitarian and protection assistance to displaced persons in the conflict-affected areas of Ukraine, where access is possible. Currently, UNHCR is working with local partners in the East and South of the country to provide urgent humanitarian assistance, including core relief items, to the affected population. In the western and central parts of the country, UNHCR and partners are scaling up their operations, as persons are fleeing toward the West and further abroad.

In the Region: Currently, UNHCR is ramping up its presence in the Region through surge teams that are deployed to assist the emergency response in the neighbouring countries: Hungary, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Slovakia. There, UNHCR provides assistance in particular at border crossing points as well as reception and transit centres.

Partner organisations:

In Ukraine: Crimea SOS, Desyate Kvitnya, Donbas Development Centre (DDC), Donbas SOS, Neeka, Proliska, R2P, Rokada.

In the Region: Helpage, INTERSOS, Menedek, NRC, Project Hope, Save the Children (UNHCR is in the process of expanding its network of partners in the Region in the framework of the newly developed Regional Refugee Response Plan).

Activities

Activities include: facilitation of registration, shelter assistance, core relief items distributions, food assistance, cash-based interventions, transportation support, and the provision of protection services such as psychosocial support, legal aid, facilitation of medical assistance, information counselling, family reunification and other measures - with a strong focus on supporting vulnerable women and children.

Context

The recent launch of the Russian Federation military offensive in Ukraine on 24 February

2022 triggered one of the fastest growing humanitarian emergencies in Europe since World Word II. At the time of writing (11 March 2022), the UN estimates that around 12.6 million people in Ukraine have so far been affected in the areas hardest hit by the conflict, with numbers growing rapidly each day.

The ongoing conflict prompted mass displacement inside Ukraine as well as a large influx of refugees in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries. As of 11 March 2022, more than 1.8 million persons are believed to have been displaced inside Ukraine, while over 2.5 million refugees have been forced to flee across the border, mainly women and children.

In view of the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, UNHCR declared a Level 3 Emergency in Ukraine – the highest emergency stage – and a Level 2 Emergency in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries. Overall, through its Ukraine Situation Supplementary Appeal, UNHCR plans to provide initial urgent support to a total of 4.5 million displaced persons: 2.1 million IDPs in Ukraine as well as 2.4 million refugees in the Region. To implement its Supplementary Appeal, UNHCR requires a total of USD 510 million (EUR 454 million) in funding.