UN launches winter support plan for vulnerable Ukrainians

The United Nations plans to provide winter assistance to 2.1 million Ukrainians from October 26, 2026, through March 2027, with about 84% of the aid earmarked for people living within 50 kilometers of the front line.

Matthias Schmale, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, announced the plan at an event on the UN’s response to the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

“We plan to provide assistance to 2.1 million people from October 26, 2026, through March 2027. They include nearly 430,000 internally displaced people and 1.7 million people who have remained in their homes. The assistance will include heating support, home repairs, medical services, food aid, and cash assistance. Approximately 84% of the planned assistance will be directed to areas within 50 kilometers of the front line,” Schmale said.

According to Schmale, the plan includes helping vulnerable households cover their winter expenses, as well as measures to ensure the uninterrupted operation of heating, electricity, water supply, and sanitation systems.

In addition, the UN will complement the Ukrainian government’s response efforts in eight cities north of Kyiv, as well as in Odesa and Dnipro. To this end, the organization will work with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Red Cross, and two other partners, Schmale said.

As previously reported, Ukraine’s Minister of Social Policy, Family, and Unity Denys Uliutin and Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, the UNHCR Representative in Ukraine, discussed coordination of humanitarian assistance and support for internally displaced people and Ukrainians abroad.

Photo: Pexels (Free Stock Photos)