Ukraine: Humanitarian Response and Funding Snapshot (January - November 2024) [EN/UK]

In November, with the cold season setting, the humanitarian needs of war-affected people were aggravated due to disruptions in basic services — electricity, heating and water supply — caused by resumed attacks on energy infrastructure. Continued hostilities and glide bomb attacks in populated areas destroyed more homes, leaving people in urgent need of shelter and winter-related support. The insecurity in front-line areas forced thousands of people, including families with children, to flee to safer parts of the country, increasing protection needs. At the same time, hundreds of thousands, many of whom are older people or people with limited mobility, stayed in front-line communities, often relying on aid to meet their basic needs.

In the 11 months of 2024, 8 million people across Ukraine received at least one form of humanitarian assistance from some 645 organizations under the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. As the temperatures continued to drop, in November, humanitarians scaled up shelter and non-food support, reaching 0.3 million people. They also increased food and livelihood assistance, reaching 0.2 million people. Additionally, humanitarians supported 0.2 million people with health care and 0.2 million people with water, sanitation and hygiene services. Aid workers also provided protection services to 0.2 million people and child protection services to 0.2 million children, including psychosocial support, and reached 0.1 million people with activities to address gender-based violence. Some 0.1 million people received multi-purpose cash assistance, allowing them to meet their basic needs in a flexible and dignified way. Mine risk education activities reached 0.1 million people. Of the total people reached, 4.8 million people were non-displaced war-affected people, 1.9 million internally displaced people, and 1.3 million who returned home after displacement.

In November, aid organizations continued to prioritize support for the front-line oblasts, assisting approximately 0.3 million people in Kharkivska and Dnipropetrovska oblasts, which also host the highest number of displaced people. By November, humanitarians nearly met or exceeded their intended plans to help people in front-line Donetska, Khersonska, Mykolaivska, Sumska and Zaporizka oblasts, despite access and security constraints. They also reached or exceeded their response targets in most oblasts in the west, centre and north of the country. Some 80 per cent of people planned to be reached received aid in Khmelnytska, Odeska, Ternopilska and Vinnytska oblasts, west and south, as new attacks disrupted basic services, leading to increased humanitarian needs.

Additionally, by November, nearly 364,000 people received winter-related assistance under the 2024-2025 Winter Response Plan, which is an increase of almost 220,000 people compared to October as the implementation of winter activities is picking up. Support for winter energy, non-food winter supplies and support for uninterrupted health care during the cold season were among the key types of assistance provided.

Between January and November, humanitarian actors also delivered 43 inter-agency convoys to assist nearly 73,000 people in front-line communities where humanitarian access is limited and the needs are most acute. In November alone, four convoys delivered food, medicines, repair materials, hygiene items and other essential supplies to heavily affected Donetska and Khersonska oblasts.

By the end of November, the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan was 62 per cent funded. However, the onset ofwinter added a new dimension to the response to the humanitarian crisis in the country, aggravating the humanitarian needs and increasing the need for further support.