Over three years into war, 12.7 million refugees remain in need of humanitarian assistance. Support from Iceland means UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is better equipped to provide critical support to refugees facing immense hardship.
UNHCR and NGO partner Rokada distributes Rapid Thermal Kits to people living in a residential building in Kyiv city, This will help families improve the insulation of their apartments, helping them to stay warm. © UNHCR/Oleksii Barkov
Three years into the full-scale invasion, the crisis remains critical. Approximately 6.3 million Ukrainian refugees are in Europe, 3.6 million individuals are internally displaced, and a total of 14.6 million people within Ukraine require humanitarian assistance.
The war has been marked by devastating aerial, missile, and rocket attacks, leading to widespread fatalities, the destruction of homes, and significant damage to energy infrastructure across Ukraine. This is especially pronounced during the winter months, where energy generation capacity has declined by 65 percent. As the conflict continues, the demand for humanitarian assistance continues to rise. Iceland’s contributions to Ukraine have enabled UNHCR to provide ongoing humanitarian and protections support to those affected by war, while also promoting early recovery and sustainable solutions for displaced individuals, returnees, and those who remain in their homes.
In 2024, with the support of UNHCR, a total of 600,000 war affected and displaced people, including returnees and those with specific vulnerabilities, received cash assistance, enabling them to fulfill essential needs such as food, medicine, clothing, accommodation, and utilities. Furthermore, the agency has extended cash assistance to families hosting displaced individuals, to assist them in managing additional utility costs. Between January and February 2025, UNHCR distributed cash assistance to 44,800 newly displaced persons, returnees, and individuals.
During the winter months, UNHCR collaborated with partners on a comprehensive response to help Ukrainians endure the harsh conditions. The organization provided essential supplies to 33,140 people and improved insulation in homes and living spaces. Additionally, from October 2024 to February 2025, UNHCR supported 258,340 people with cash assistance to help meet their winter needs.
UNHCR and partners evacuated an estimated 200,000 people from the frontline areas in north and east Ukraine between August 2024 and February 2025. Provisions at the transit sites in north and east Ukraine included psychosocial counselling, legal aid and cash assistance to buy essentials. In addition, more than 150,098 individuals received assistance with emergency shelter needs, such as emergency shelter kits and materials to promptly repair damaged homes following disasters. Furthermore, in order to respond to and mitigate future hardships, this assistance was complemented by psychosocial support, emergency cash assistance, and core relief items such as blankets, mattresses, and kitchen utensils.
In 2025, UNHCR opened the first European integration hub in Lviv. A space where internally displaced people alongside the local community can access legal aid, psychosocial support, career counselling as well as administrative services. In 2024, UNHCR reached 601,948 individuals and provided them with protection information and services.
UNHCR and its partners conducted a series of training sessions for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service to enhance their capacity to protect refugees and vulnerable populations, reinforcing the country’s protective infrastructure. Furthermore, in its work on inclusion and equality, the agency prioritized the inclusion of LGBTQI+ individuals in its protection initiatives. Training sessions were held for non-governmental organization partners in Odesa to promote equality and improve services for these marginalized communities.
Iceland as a donor
In 2024, Iceland’s total donation to UNHCR amounted to USD 4.5 million. Of this total, USD 2 million was unearmarked funding, which enables UNHCR to allocate resources to urgent situations. Iceland also contributed USD 948,351 specifically to address the humanitarian needs arising from the situation in Ukraine. So far in 2025, Iceland has contributed USD 2.8 million to UNHCR, of which 51 per cent is unearmarked.
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