In the most difficult times, cash assistance provides a lifeline to displaced and war-affected people in Ukraine

In Ukraine, UNHCR implements one of its largest and most advanced cash programmes in the world, tailored to meet the diverse needs of displaced and war-affected people.  

By offering financial support through various modalities, UNHCR empowers people to make decisions based on their specific needs and unique circumstances, preserving their dignity and independence while granting them a sense of normality and ownership. This support enables those in need to prepare for winter, pay rent, repair their homes, buy food, and live in dignified conditions. In addition, providing support via cash assistance supports the local economy.

Emergency cash supports the most urgent needs 

Immediate financial support can be a lifeline for families forced to flee their homes or whose homes have been impacted by attacks. In 2024, UNHCR established a rapid response cash assistance programme to provide such immediate emergency cash assistance to people who have been directly impacted by missile attacks or have evacuated from frontline communities.  

“When we came to the transit centre we were offered to be enrolled in the emergency cash assistance programme. We also received food parcels, hygiene kits, and bed linen as we came with nothing,” say Olha Maiboroda, from Vovchansk, who together with her family was forced to evacuate from frontline areas during Russia’s ground offensive in the Kharkiv region in May. 

This financial assistance has been crucial for Olha, who, having been an English teacher, now faces the challenge of starting over in Kharkiv. “We are planning to spend it on medicine for my parents, and clothing as we have only what we were wearing on that day. Also, in the future, if it would be possible for me to find a job I would like to buy a laptop,” explains Olha. 

Another evacuee, Oksana Tereshchenko, left her home in the small settlement Prykolotne in Kharkiv region together with her small son and elderly parents:  

“There were shells behind our windows. Then there was no electricity, no water. Simply and just within a moment, the whole life stopped. That’s why we decided to leave, we just called the evacuation service and left,” Oksana recalls.   

Oksana also received emergency cash assistance from UNHCR, and she wants to use the money to rent a house in Western Ukraine so that her son can study and her grandmother,  who barely can walk, feels more comfortable.  

“We received the assistance very quickly, within a week. I think we will spend the assistance on renting a house. I think that money will be enough to start but then we will see.”

Cash for repair helps families rebuild damaged houses and a sense of home 

Russian attacks continue to destroy houses, residential buildings and infrastructure, and this has left many Ukrainians with damaged homes, forcing them to flee or find temporary accommodation. UNHCR’s cash for repairs program provides crucial financial support to these families, enabling them to fix their damaged houses, return back and regain sense of home.  

“Before the war, we lived a marvelous life. We had land plots, we could afford things. We built this house from nothing. And then the war came and changed everything,” shares Alla in Vysokopilia, Kherson region. 

Alla fled when her village was occupied in March 2022. Six months later, she returned with her husband to a ruined home. “All the windows were broken, the roof was heavily damaged, all the doors were ripped off. The plots of land are gone, it’s all mined.” 

Thanks to the cash assistance from UNHCR, Alla and her husband could buy materials to repair their damaged home. “If we did not get the help, we would not have been able to do the repairs ourselves. This assistance gave us a lot. We started to rebuild. We have started a new life. No matter what comes next, life is now getting better.”

Cash assistance to allow people to restart their lives 

For many displaced or otherwise war-affected people, UNHCR’s so-called multipurpose cash assistance provides the flexibility to address a range of needs – and make their own decisions on what to prioritize in their unique situation – from food and clothing to rent and medical expenses. 

For Natalia Huban’, a visually impaired mother of two, who fled from Zaporizhzhia region to Lviv in western Ukraine, the cash assistance has helped her get back on her feet.  

“At some point, you just realize that when your loved ones, relatives, acquaintances lose their lives, and you are alive, then you simply have no right to surrender, otherwise their sacrifices were in vain.” 

She faced significant obstacles in securing housing and a livelihood to provide for her family. The cash assistance she received through UNHCR’s program allowed her to cover her accommodation expenses and with her solid background and experience in massage therapy, she has now established her business. 

“Getting a job was a problem, even in peacetime, and in wartime it became an even bigger problem. That’s how the idea of starting my own business appeared. The funds I received, almost all of them were injected here. I hope this business will allow me to stand firmly on my feet, that it will give me the opportunity to rebuild, that it will give me the opportunity to educate my child.”

Since March 2022, UNHCR has provided cash assistance to more than 2.1 million people in Ukraine, amounting to more than USD 511 million. This is possible thanks to generous funding of the European Union. The cash assistance program is implemented through a network of multi-service protection centers and mobile teams across 21 oblasts in Ukraine. These centers facilitate cash enrollment and protection screening, ensuring that aid reaches those most in need. The vulnerability criteria for eligibility are regularly updated to reflect the evolving security situation and the growing number of affected Ukrainians. Additionally, UNHCR also maintains an emergency cash assistance programme that can be rapidly deployed immediately.  

For more information on how to enroll in any of these cash assistance programs, please visit the UNHCR Ukraine ‘HELP’ website page.