The Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine: Addressing Displacement and Support Needs

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe on an unprecedented scale in modern Europe. By mid-2025, an estimated 14 million Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes, with over 6 million seeking refuge abroad and the remainder internally displaced within Ukraine’s borders. Civilian infrastructure has been devastated in targeted attacks, particularly in the east and south, and social services in both government-controlled and occupied regions have been strained to the brink. The war has not only destroyed homes and communities—it has disrupted education, healthcare, livelihoods, and the basic conditions for human dignity.

Addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine requires a complex interplay of domestic resilience, international support and long-term strategic planning. Here we assess the scope of the displacement, the nature of the needs among vulnerable populations, the institutional responses so far, and the enduring challenges that will shape Ukraine’s recovery.

Patterns of Displacement

The most intense waves of displacement occurred during the initial phases of the war, as Russian forces advanced towards Kyiv and occupied swathes of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk oblasts. Millions fled westward towards relatively safe cities such as Lviv, Uzhhorod and Ivano-Frankivsk. Others crossed into Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova, often with little more than essential documents and the clothes they wore.

Subsequent phases of the war, including the systematic bombardment of Kharkiv, Odesa and Dnipro, as well as the repeated targeting of energy infrastructure in winter, generated new displacement patterns. Unlike earlier waves, many of these internally displaced persons (IDPs) have faced prolonged displacement, with no foreseeable return due to the destruction or continued occupation of their hometowns.

Displacement has disproportionately affected women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities. Men of military age are typically unable to leave the country due to martial law restrictions, leaving women to bear the burdens of childcare, household responsibility and income generation in unfamiliar environments.

Immediate Support Needs

Displaced populations face a hierarchy of urgent and evolving needs:

• Shelter and housing: Temporary shelters—schools, sports halls, and churches—were quickly overwhelmed. Over time, local governments and NGOs have built modular housing, but these are often inadequate for winter conditions or long-term residence.

  
  

• Healthcare: Access to medical care has deteriorated, particularly in frontline and occupied regions. IDPs frequently lack continuity of care for chronic conditions, and mental health needs have soared.

  
  

• Education: Disruption to education has been widespread, with millions of children missing months or years of schooling. Remote learning, although innovative, remains inaccessible to many IDP families without stable internet or devices.

  
  

• Employment: Economic self-sufficiency is a major challenge. Many IDPs cannot find jobs in already strained local economies, leading to dependence on aid and long-term vulnerability.

  
  

• Legal and documentation issues: Many displaced persons have lost passports, property documents, and vital records, complicating their access to public services, legal protections, and compensation schemes.

Institutional and International Response

The Ukrainian government has taken extraordinary measures to register, house and support displaced populations. The Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories coordinates relief with regional authorities, while the digital citizenship and identity platform Diia has enabled IDPs to register for benefits and access key services remotely. The Ukrainian Red Cross and local civil society organisations have been instrumental in direct aid distribution, especially in frontline zones.

Internationally, UN agencies—particularly UNHCR, OCHA, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme—have supported logistical and financial assistance. The European Union has extended temporary protection to Ukrainian refugees, allowing them access to healthcare, education, and employment. Bilateral aid from the United States, Canada, and EU states has financed shelter projects, humanitarian corridors, and essential supplies.

Nevertheless gaps remain. Logistical bottlenecks, security threats, and coordination challenges between Ukrainian and international actors have slowed response times. Humanitarian corridors have frequently been targeted by Russian attacks, violating international humanitarian law and jeopardising civilian evacuations.

Mental Health and Social Trauma

One of the most neglected aspects of the crisis is the psychological toll on displaced Ukrainians. The experience of war, flight, and uncertainty has left millions suffering from post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. For children, the absence of routine, secure attachment figures, and education has profound developmental consequences.

Efforts to scale up psychosocial support are underway, with NGOs training community health workers and developing mobile psychological services. However, the need vastly exceeds the available resources. In many cases, cultural stigma surrounding mental health remains a barrier to treatment.

Rebuilding and Return

As Ukrainian forces reclaim territory and shift from defence to stabilisation, the question of return looms large. Many displaced families express a strong desire to return home, yet face insurmountable obstacles: mined fields, looted or razed property, absence of basic utilities, and uncertainty about security.

The government’s reconstruction plans, outlined in the “Ukraine Recovery Plan” and aligned with European integration objectives, aim to support voluntary return through housing reconstruction, employment incentives, and restitution mechanisms. Still, the timeline for implementation remains unclear, especially in regions near active hostilities.

Not all will return. For many displacement has become semi-permanent, and they will need long-term integration in their host communities. The policy challenge is to balance return and reintegration without privileging one over the other.

Lessons and Long-Term Outlook

Ukraine’s displacement crisis underscores several key lessons for humanitarian and state actors alike:

• Decentralised response systems—empowering local communities and mayors—are more agile than highly centralised bureaucracies.

  
  

• Digital governance platforms, such as Diia, can dramatically improve aid delivery and registration, particularly in high-mobility situations.

  
  

• Resilience planning must include pre-existing civil society structures, which proved to be the first line of support when institutions were overwhelmed.

  
  

• Mental health must be mainstreamed into humanitarian response, not treated as a secondary or optional domain.

Looking ahead, the success of Ukraine’s recovery will be judged not only by the reconstruction of buildings, but by the reintegration of its displaced citizens—socially, economically, and psychologically. The long shadow of displacement, if unaddressed, could undermine national unity and economic renewal.

Conclusion

The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine remains vast and complex. Yet it is not without hope. Amid loss and hardship, countless acts of solidarity, innovation and endurance have emerged. The challenge for Ukraine and her partners now is to translate this resilience into a sustained, coordinated response—one that does more than alleviate suffering, and instead lays the foundations for a just and inclusive recovery. Displacement, if addressed wisely, can become a crucible for national renewal, rather than a scar upon the nation’s future.