Ukraine: Humanitarian Situation Snapshot (January - February 2026) [EN/UK]

The start of 2026 in Ukraine was marked by a devastating combination of systematic attacks on energy infrastructure and extreme weather conditions that put the most vulnerable people at grave risk and strained communities' coping capacities. Ongoing hostilities continued to cause extensive civilian harm and widespread damage, particularly in front-line Donetska and Zaporizka oblasts. In the first two months of 2026, at least 352 civilians were killed, and 1,523 were injured—more than 30 per cent higher than in February 2025—according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). Almost 40 per cent of all civilian casualties resulted from long-range attacks, mainly in urban centres far from the front line, while short-range drone strikes remained the primary cause of casualties near the front line, followed by aerial bombardment and artillery fire.

Nearly daily attacks on Ukraine's energy systems left hundreds of thousands of families without electricity, heating and water—sometimes for weeks—when temperatures dropped to –20°C. According to the HRMMU, power generation and distribution facilities were destroyed or damaged in 17 oblasts and Kyiv, reducing available power generation during the winter peak consumption demand period. As a result, the most vulnerable people, including older people and people with limited mobility, were stuck in their homes, unable to stay warm, cook food or leave apartments. Attacks also disrupted people's access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, while in Russian-occupied territories these systems continue to deteriorate due to years of under-maintenance and restricted access for repairs, according to the WASH Cluster.

Power and heating disruptions undermined the continuity of learning and affected the well-being of children and teachers, exacerbating the distress caused by the war. According to a joint analysis by the Education Cluster, NGO Save the Children and UNICEF, outages impacted nearly 2 million children and resulted in an average loss of 16.5 learning days—nearly double the losses from air alerts during the same period last year.

Access to vital health care was affected by ongoing attacks on hospitals and power outages, with people with serious health conditions disproportionately impacted. Over the reporting period, 90 attacks on health care were verified in Ukraine—out of over 170 worldwide—resulting in 13 deaths and 42 injuries. Despite mitigation measures, emergency outages disrupted hospital operations, including in Kyiv City and Zaporizka Oblast, affecting both primary and specialized care.

Ongoing front-line hostilities and front-line shifts forced thousands of people to flee in search of safety, particularly in Donetska, Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska and Zaporizka oblasts, where at least 30,000 people were newly displaced during the reporting period, according to the IOM.

Despite attacks and significant disruption of basic services, in January 2026, humanitarian organizations reached more than 950,000 people, primarily with food and livelihood support, water, sanitation and hygiene assistance and health services. Humanitarians focused on addressing the needs of vulnerable people front‑line regions, including Dnipropetrovska, Donetska, Khersonska, Kharkivska, Zaporizka and Sumska oblasts.

The cascading impacts of widespread damage to critical infrastructure are expected to intensify humanitarian needs throughout the year, necessitating early planning and continued support. Despite national and international efforts to repair energy, heating and water systems, continued attacks risk further service disruptions, including during the hotter months and the next winter season. Under these conditions, early planning and sustained donor support remain critical to assist the most vulnerable.