Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 (January 2026) [EN/UK]

Foreword by the Humanitarian Coordinator

As I write this foreword, I recall my trip in late November 2025 to Druzhkivka, a town in Donetska Oblast, where I accompanied an evacuation mission organized by a local partner to bring a family with three children to safety. Once a lively community of tens of thousands, it is today almost a ghost town. We passed street after street of utter destruction. Homes and civilian infrastructure were flattened to the ground; for many, only the skeletal frames remain with shattered windows and roofs blown away.

Almost 4 years after the full-scale invasion by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, we must avoid romanticizing “resilience”. Ukrainians have shown extraordinary courage, but they should not be expected to endure the unendurable without consistent, principled support. For people in Druzhkivka and in many communities along the front line, daily life is overshadowed by violence and attempts to survive. A strict curfew means they can only go outside for a few hours a day, timing their lives around shelling patterns and the increased risk of drone attacks. They face hard choices: to flee for safety, leaving their homes and lives behind, or remain under constant shelling.

As the war continues, humanitarian needs in Ukraine have deepened rather than decreased. The nature of warfare is evolving: more drone attacks and long-range strikes increase risks for civilians and humanitarians, while causing systematic damage to energy, water and other essential services. Front-line villages and towns are being hollowed out; northern border communities live under constant threat, and people in occupied territories face severe violations of their basic rights.

The year 2025 has been devastating for humanitarian workers in Ukraine: eight colleagues were killed, four of them while on duty, and 47 were injured in attacks that also damaged evacuation vehicles, warehouses and aid trucks. There are no signs that 2026 will be any safer.

At its core, this remains a protection crisis. Older people who cannot easily move, people with disabilities, single parents, vulnerable children and adolescents, people with chronic illnesses and those already displaced are among the first to feel every shock and the last to recover. Behind every statistic are individuals and families, like the one we met in Druzhkivka, weighing the daunting decision of whether to stay or to leave everything behind for the unknown.

We also know that the war’s impact will long outlive the current emergency and humanitarian phase. The mental health consequences for adults and children, former combatants and their families, the loss of and damage to homes, the strain on health and education systems and the fractures in social cohesion will shape Ukrainian society for years to come.

Given the scale of needs and the reality of shrinking humanitarian resources, we must make deliberate and difficult choices to prioritize humanitarian support for those most in need. It is also evident that the longer this war lasts, the more specific needs must be tackled by government development services supported by development actors. Perhaps the most distinct example to illustrate this is the situation of the more than 3.7 million internally displaced people (IDPs)—as we approach year 5 of the full-scale war, the most vulnerable among them need durable development solutions, including for housing and employment. Another example is the situation of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. In addition to the perpetrators of the crimes against them being held to account, survivors need sustainable longer-term services, including mental health support.

The 2026 Plan adopts an issue-based approach, organized around four strategic priorities. Together, they focus on those whose lives and dignity are most at risk: people remaining close to the front line; those who are newly displaced or evacuated; people directly and indirectly affected by strikes; and displaced and severely vulnerable people who are at risk of being left out.

With an estimated 10.8 million people in need, humanitarians aim to reach 4.1 million of the most vulnerable, prioritizing those experiencing the most severe conditions. This is not because others do not matter; it is because funding, access and operational capacity are finite. Above all, this Plan is about the most vulnerable people: families living in fear near the front line; older people and people with disabilities weighing whether to evacuate; children learning in basements and shelters; doctors saving lives under the constant threat of new attacks; and displaced people still waiting, after years, for a place they can call home.

Against all odds, local organizations continue to deliver most humanitarian work, often at great personal risk. Their leadership and knowledge of affected communities are essential and impactful in an increasingly localized response. It will remain a priority of the Humanitarian Country Team to agree and implement further practical steps to advance the localization agenda. As we bring the Global Humanitarian Reset into Ukraine’s context, we remain committed to ensuring that ‘accountability to affected people’ is reflected through concrete action. Putting people at the centre requires more comprehensive engagement than hotlines or complaint mechanisms alone.

I urge all humanitarian, development and governmental partners to work together around our shared values and key identified strategic priorities, respecting the distinct role of principled humanitarian action and recognizing where others must lead. We ask our donors to sustain flexible, predictable funding so that we can respond rapidly to new shocks while maintaining essential services for those who cannot yet stand on their own feet. Only together we can ensure that the most vulnerable, like the family I met in Druzhkivka, receive timely assistance.

As a displaced woman from Donetska Oblast told us in her new community in Kharkivska Oblast: “I wish to be able to stay here and live a normal, peaceful life without fear of being uprooted once again”. Her words remind us why we do this work and why we must keep going. And with her and countless others, we long for the day when the weapons will fall silent, and we can focus on supporting the country to recover and rebuild with justice and dignity.

Matthias Schmale

Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine