The UN will initiate the allocation of $4.2 billion to support war-affected Ukrainians in the country and abroad, as well as host communities in the European region during 2024, according to a joint press release from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

“The United Nations and partners today asked donors for a combined $4.2 billion to support war-affected communities in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees and their host communities in the region throughout 2024,” according to a press release received by the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Monday morning.

As the message reads, nearly two years since the war’s rapid escalation, 14.6 million people need humanitarian assistance in Ukraine – a staggering 40 per cent of the population. Some 6.3 million people have fled the country and remain refugees, mostly across Europe.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates the response inside Ukraine. This Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requests $3.1 billion for 2024 and targets 8.5 million people.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, coordinates the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP), which requests $1.1 billion and targets 2.3 million refugees and host communities.

“In total, the two highly prioritized UN plans aim to support some 10.8 million people in Ukraine and the region,” the message reads.

"Hundreds of thousands of children live in communities on the front lines of the war, terrified, traumatized and deprived of their basic needs. That fact alone should compel us to do everything we can to bring more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine," said the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, who is also the head of OCHA.

Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries also need increased and sustained support. Despite efforts for inclusion, only half of school-age refugee children are enrolled in schools in host countries, while a quarter of refugees in need struggle to access health care. Only 40 to 60 per cent are employed, often below their qualifications, and many remain vulnerable with no means to support themselves.

As the message says, despite extreme access challenges, especially to areas occupied by the Russian Federation, aid workers reached nearly 11 million people in Ukraine in 2023, with the support of the international donor community.

Neighbouring countries have generously hosted Ukrainian refugees for almost two years, but they urgently need more international support. In 2023, RRP partners reached more than 2.5 million refugees with support and protection, working to include them in national systems until it is safe to return.