“This winter could be the most difficult experienced by Ukrainians since the start of the international conflict”

Interview of Benjamin Martin, Deputy Country Director for Action Against Hunger in Ukraine.

What is the situation in Ukraine today?

Since the start of the international conflict in February 2022, at least 11,700 civilians have been killed and more than 24,600 wounded, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Some 6 million people have fled Ukraine and 4 million have had to move within the country.

Today, the humanitarian situation remains extremely worrying, with 14.6 million people, or 40% of the population, in need of humanitarian assistance according to the UN. The war continues to worsen the living conditions of civilians and to hamper their access to health, education and other basic services, particularly in areas close to the front line in the south and east of Ukraine.

With the advance of Russian forces in the east of the country in recent months, a growing number of towns and villages have had to be evacuated. In May, the intensification of hostilities in the Kharkiv region, including in densely populated areas, led to the largest population displacement in Ukraine since 2023, with 18,000 people displaced according to IOM.

What are the main challenges facing people in winter?

The deliberate targeting of civilian energy infrastructure contributes significantly to the worsening humanitarian situation of the Ukrainian population and constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law. In a country where winters are harsh and temperatures drop below zero degrees, Action Against Hunger is concerned about the impact of prolonged power cuts on access to essential services for people already living in precarious living conditions. In addition, more than two million homes have been damaged by the fighting, compromising their thermal envelope. This winter could therefore be the most difficult experienced by Ukrainians since the start of the international conflict.

At present, it is estimated that over 50% of the country’s electrical capacity has been destroyed, and the Ukrainian energy operator is expecting power cuts of up to 20 hours a day. The most vulnerable sections of the population (children, the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill) and displaced persons are particularly at risk. Rising energy costs, combined with the economic toll of the war, may push the most vulnerable to adapt negative coping strategies, such as choosing between paying for heating and meeting other essential needs such as health.

Food security also suffers during winter. While many households in rural areas practice small-scale market gardening and animal husbandry as a complementary source of nutrition and income, this subsistence farming is impossible without adequate equipment during the winter. From October to March, these households are therefore entirely dependent on markets for food, against a backdrop of significant seasonal inflation in the price of basic foodstuffs. According to the Humanitarian Needs Response Plan (HNRP), an additional 1,847,872 people will need food aid during the winter.

Finally, power cuts, combined with the uncertainties of the conflict, are likely to accentuate the mental disorders of millions of Ukrainians. Children are particularly hard hit: over 1.5 million of them are in urgent need of support to cope with stress, anxiety and other mental health problems. Disruptions to education due to incessant attacks exacerbate these problems.

What is ACF doing in Ukraine and how are we adapting our humanitarian aid as winter approaches?

In Ukraine, Action Against Hunger (ACF) implements food security and livelihood activities by distributing hot meals and financial assistance. ACF is also active in the health sector, supporting primary healthcare centers and implementing psychological and psychosocial support programs. We will continue to implement these programs, which remain essential to support the population during these difficult months.

ACF has identified particularly acute needs among children deprived of parental care and dependent on social services, whose numbers have increased since the start of the war. In the “family-type children’s homes” located in the Kharkiv region, our teams will improve the insulation of the facilities, provide solar heat pumps, winterization kits and agricultural inputs. We will also provide training in food preservation and in the construction of small greenhouses to facilitate food security for residents over the winter.

What are the main challenges and obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid in Ukraine and to the work of our teams in the field?

The increase in air attacks, particularly in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, has forced Action Against Hunger to follow restrictive security protocols, slowing down the implementation of activities and increasing their costs. These attacks have also delayed the delivery of equipment to the Vodokanal water management company, as well as the local implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene projects. In Pokrovsk, which has been under attack from Russian forces for months, the premises of our Ukrainian partner Spilno were damaged by artillery fire.

In the absence of a political solution to the conflict, humanitarian needs will continue to grow. We call on the parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of humanitarian space and to facilitate humanitarian operations on the ground, particularly in rural areas and those close to the front line where aid is struggling to get through.

Humanitarian funding for the crisis, which is showing signs of weakness as the conflict drags on, must be maintained over the long term. However, of the $3.1 billion required for 2024, only 57% of the humanitarian appeal has been funded to date, and there is every reason to believe that this situation will worsen in 2025.