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Since the invasion in late February, the situation has deteriorated rapidly - and winter is the next challenge on the horizon.

Since the Russian Federation launched a military offensive against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, over 5.2 million people have fled their homes to escape conflict in Ukraine. At least 2,435 civilians have been killed and 2,946 injured.

This is the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.

An additional 7.7 million people have been displaced internally within Ukraine and over 12 million more have been affected in the areas hardest hit by the war. Humanitarian needs are increasing exponentially.

Our response

We’re working with 3 partner organisations in the ACT Alliance:

  • Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) in Ukraine and Hungary
  • the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Poland
  • Swiss Church Aid (HEKS) in Ukraine, Hungary and Romania, to offer assistance to internally displaced peoples and to refugees

How your generous gifts helped us support our partners

With your unprecedented support so far, we've been able to distribute money to respond to a wide range of needs, including:

  • supplying trauma kits and baby incubators
  • enabling cash distribution so that Ukrainians can decide their own priorities for themselves
  • focusing on vulnerable groups such as women, children, people with disabilities; the frail and elderly

So far, HIA have reached 26,187 people with lifesaving aid, shelter, truckloads of food (345 metric tons), water, sanitation and health support, as well as offering vital information for refugees and internally displaced people.

Through the DEC emergency appeal, Christian Aid has donated £1 million for trauma first aid kits and £1 million for urgently needed medical and pharmaceutical equipment, items and supplies, for Ukraine, through our partner Crown Agents. Our partner is working directly with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health to supply these kits to those caught up in the fighting.

Christian Aid was founded in 1945 by British and Irish churches to help refugees after the Second World War. Back then, we worked with partner churches to alleviate suffering by raising the equivalent of £3 million plus in today’s money.

We supported, equipped and enabled partner churches in mainland Europe to provide what people needed. Nearly 80 years later, we are doing the same.

Save lives

Will you help us assist Ukrainians fleeing deadly violence?

Image credits and information i
Natalia and her two children are the first family to stay in a shelter supported by HIA Credit: Finn Church Aid/Antti Yrjonen
Natalia and her two children are the first family to stay in a shelter supported by HIA

Our response

Natalia, and her two children, Danylko, 9, and baby girl Anna, 2 months, are the first family to stay in a shelter supported by our partner Hungarian Interchurch Aid in Lviv, western Ukraine. Anna is also the youngest person there.

The shelter is in a church building and was established at the very beginning of the war. A priest runs it and says they shelter 150 refugees daily. Some refugees rest for a short time there and some stay longer. Women and children are prioritised so that they don’t need to sleep at overcrowded railway stations.

Natalia and her children arrived to Lviv by bus. The family comes from the Kyiv region. Natalia’s husband hasn’t joined them as he is in the army.

Our village was destroyed. There was bombing every day. I feared for my family. I’m afraid for my husband.

Natalia says she wants peace for her children. She says she wants to stay in Lviv until the end of the war, because the bombings in her home village were incredibly stressful.

When there was bombing at night, I did not know where to go. We feared that our building would be destroyed. In this shelter, I feel peaceful.

Pray for Ukraine

Join us as we pray for the people of Ukraine.