In Ukraine, the Future at a Cross Road

Under the grip of dual uncertainty, both geopolitical and financial, Ukraine is experiencing a troubling start to the fourth year of the conflict. Its humanitarian needs, however, persist and will not diminish, regardless of the discussions’ outcome.

After three years of intense war since the start of the Russian offensive in February 2022, 12.7 million Ukrainians require humanitarian aid to cover their basic needs. While the large movements of people fleeing the fighting towards the west have slowed down, the east of Ukraine continues to experience an unbroken tragedy. Fighting, bombings, and mines have devastated cities, villages, and fields.

Ukraine

Context and action

37 million inhabitants
77th out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index
501,843 people rescued since march 2022

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL, present in Ukraine since the days following the Russian offensive in 2022, operates as close as possible to the front lines. We provide support to civilians who were unable to leave their homes and are enduring the war firsthand. Among them, many elderly people, some already losing their autonomy. Winter is a time of great vulnerability for them. It is currently minus 14 degrees during the day in Kharkiv. Snow and ice cover the houses, roads, and fields. In these conditions, rebuilding bombed roofs and providing heating is a matter of life and death. This is what our teams on the ground are working to implement.

The country is currently experiencing a critical period for its future on two fronts. On the one hand, the geopolitical landscape has been reshuffled with the arrival of Donald Trump at the head of the United States. The shifting balance of power and changing terms of negotiations are adding further uncertainty to an already complex situation. On the other hand, global funding for humanitarian aid is starting to decline, and Ukraine is not immune to this trend. It is impossible to predict today how many humanitarian projects and reconstruction efforts will be maintained in the coming months and years.

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL pays close attention to international discussions and is ready to adapt its field actions to the needs and opportunities that the future will bring. Supporting people in an ongoing and brutal war, and ensuring that Ukrainians who return find shelter, water, and electricity amid the ruins. Regardless of the outcome of these discussions, large-scale humanitarian emergencies will need to be addressed. The needs may evolve, but they will remain.