Emergency aid for people in Ukraine

In response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Caritas Austria has been actively engaged in humanitarian assistance since 2014 in Ukraine. Our efforts focus on the most vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, as well as internally displaced persons (IDPs) and affected host communities. Caritas provides vital assistance across multiple sectors, ensuring basic needs are met and lives are protected.

Key achievements of Caritas support for people in need in Ukraine:

• Comprehensive Humanitarian Support: Caritas has provided emergency response in key areas such as food security (soup kitchens, food kits, and cash for food), WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene kits, and water purification systems), shelter, and health (first aid kits and medical vouchers).
• Shelter Support: We have established six shelters in Western and Southern Ukraine, providing long-term care for elderly IDPs in need of social and health support. Additionally, 20 modular houses have been installed in Kyiv and Kharkiv to offer safe, warm living spaces for those whose homes have been destroyed.
• Cash-Based Assistance: Wherever possible, Caritas has prioritized cash-based interventions, including multipurpose cash assistance for essential needs, such as utilities and hygiene products, as well as vouchers in areas where cash assistance was less effective.
• Psychosocial and Protection Services: Crisis Centers provide a combination of psychosocial support (PSS) and legal aid, helping individuals regain legal documents, access state subsidies, and address psychological needs through both individual and group PSS sessions. Case management and Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) offer more specialized care for vulnerable groups.
• Reaching High-Risk Areas: Our projects span the entire country, including frontline areas like Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhya, as well as regions with a high density of internally displaced persons, such as Western Ukraine and Kyiv.
• Scaling Livelihood Interventions: Caritas has begun scaling its livelihood programs, focusing on long-term economic stabilization and recovery, as we transition from emergency response to rehabilitation efforts.

Thanks to your continued support, Caritas is able to provide essential humanitarian assistance across Ukraine, helping vulnerable populations survive and rebuild in the midst of ongoing conflict.

Links:

• Info of Caritas Austria support for Ukraine (GER)