Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis February 2022
Since the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated rapidly, with an impact felt far and wide. The war has caused death and massive suffering in the country, and humanitarian needs continue to grow.
Over the past year, millions of people have needed urgent humanitarian assistance, both in Ukraine and in the neighboring countries that are hosting refugees. The conflict has led to the world’s fastest growing displacement crisis since the Second World War, with more than 13 million people forced to flee their homes. The war has also devastated Ukraine’s economy: economic losses are estimated at over US$1 trillion, and half of employed Ukrainians have lost their jobs.
The United Nations and partners, including businesses big and small, have come together to assist people affected by the conflict.
In 2022, close to 16 million people were reached – nearly a third of the population – with lifesaving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance. This included the world’s largest humanitarian cash response, supporting almost 6 million people in Ukraine.
An on-going collective effort to address the growing needs of millions of people
The UN and humanitarian partners launched coordinated emergency appeals to address the acute humanitarian needs of both crisis-affected people within Ukraine as well as refugees in neighbouring countries.
The Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan, updated on 15 February 2023, requires $3.9 billion to ensure the assistance required can be provided to over 11 million people – out of nearly 18 million in need.
The Ukraine Situation Regional Refugee Response Plan, led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), aims to help refugees across the region in order to help host countries provide shelter, emergency relief items, cash assistance, and mental health and psychosocial support to those who fled Ukraine. This includes people with specific needs, such as unaccompanied children.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting the Government of Ukraine to address the socio-economic impact on Ukraine caused by the war, focusing on resilience building and recovery.
Mobilizing the Private Sector to Support Humanitarian Response and Recovery
The private sector has played a crucial role in the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine, mobilizing over US$1.7 billion in cash and in-kind contributions. CBi is supporting UN efforts to engage the private sector in the response.
To document this unprecedented show of generosity and improve transparency about humanitarian funding flows, CBi launched an interactive Ukraine Private Sector Donations Tracker.
The OCHA Business Brief to the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis (revised in February 2023), prepared with the support of CBi and the UN Global Compact, outlines the ways that businesses around the world can help the people of Ukraine.
CBi also worked with UN Global Compact Local Networks in Poland and Ukraine to help businesses understand the local humanitarian coordination structures in place as well the humanitarian principles and best practices that should be taken into account when engaging in the response. The recordings of this webinar series is available here.
CBi has longstanding guidelines and tools for private sector entities engaged in disaster management in fragile situations and conflict-affected areas. For more, view our resources on Conflict and Fragility.
