Explainer: War in Ukraine - the human cost and humanitarian response

The scale of the humanitarian crisis is immense, but so is the response, with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and many others working hard to ensure people can live in safety and dignity, despite the ongoing war.

How serious is the situation for displaced civilians?

Since the start of the full-scale war, almost 6.9 million Ukrainians have registered as refugees. A further 3.7 million are internally displaced within Ukraine. In total, that means nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s pre-war population have been forced to flee their homes. Of those displaced within Ukraine, more than half are women and a quarter are children, with both accounting for 76 per cent of all refugees from Ukraine as well.

More than 42,000 civilians have been wounded or killed – including 2,500 children – since Russia’s invasion, while attacks have also damaged or destroyed more than 2.5 million homes across Ukraine, roughly 13 per cent of the housing stock. It is estimated that $176 billion worth of damageLink is external has been done to vital infrastructure including housing, transport and energy, making civilian life a daily struggle.

Despite all the death and destruction, a recent UNHCR survey found that 61 per cent of Ukrainian refugees and 73 per cent of displaced people want to return home one day.

What is being done to alleviate the suffering?

UNHCR provides emergency, life-saving support to people living in frontline communities and families directly impacted by the incessant air attacks and assists in rebuilding damaged homes. Together with other UN agencies, UNHCR has participated in over 190 humanitarian convoys delivering emergency relief supplies to frontline communitiesLink is external.

Since the start of the war, UNHCR has delivered over 410,000 emergency shelter kits and materials in the immediate aftermath of attacks, provided psychosocial support to around 300,000 affected people, and repaired more than 37,000 war-damaged homes.

UNHCR also supports people who have recently been displaced or evacuated from intensified hostilities in frontline regions, finding them secure temporary shelter, supplying essential household items, and providing cash assistance to cover the cost of food, medicine, rent and other vital expenses for the initial period of displacement.

Legal and psychosocial support provided by UNHCR helps displaced people and refugees restore their essential identity documents and recover from the trauma of the war and the experience of being forced to flee.

What more is needed?

There are 12.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid inside Ukraine – including communities in frontline regions close to the border with Russia – and 6.9 million Ukrainians living as refugees abroad.

Basic requirements include safe shelter and accommodation for those displaced and help to quickly repair the homes of those able to stay in their communities, essential aid like hygiene items and medicine, health care, education and psychosocial support, restoring documents that allow access to government services and employment – whether for Ukrainian refugees or those in their own country – and much, much more.

In 2025, the United Nations is appealing for $3.83 billion to fund the ongoing humanitarian and refugee responses.

To maximize impact and ensure sustainability, UNHCR complements the government-led response in Ukraine and works hand-in-hand with local partner organizations – such as Ukrainian non-governmental and faith-based organizations, community organizations and local administrations – procuring goods and services locally wherever possible.