The war in Ukraine began in February 2022, and Action Against Hunger has been serving communities in Ukraine from the start. As the conflict, seasons, and situations have changed, so has our approach. Through close connection with local communities and frequent needs assessments, we have been able to maximize our impact, offering services when and where they are needed most.
Here you can see an overview of how we have adapted our Emergency Response in Ukraine to meet urgent needs over the years:
February 2022
When conflict broke out on February 24th, 2022, Action Against Hunger quickly deployed a team to conduct a needs assessment. Based on their findings, we coordinated emergency response plans and logistics with local governments and other humanitarian actors.
Firefighters rescue civilians from a damaged building.
March 2022
In March, Action Against Hunger was distributing hot meals, hygiene materials, and other basic supplies to families on the frontlines in eastern Ukraine.
An Action Against Hunger hot meal distribution site.
In western Ukraine, we began providing mental health support and cash transfers to people who fled the conflict, as well as the communities hosting them.
Action Against Hunger coordinates a cash distribution center in the Chernivtsi Oblast.
About 1.8 million people fled into Poland and thousands fled into Romania to find safety, so Action Against Hunger launched programs to ensure refugees were met with food, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) supplies, and psychosocial support when they arrived.
Ukrainian refugees just crossed the border in Dolhobyczow, Poland, on March 5, 2022.
April 2022
Action Against Hunger established partnerships with a variety of organizations to meet the needs of people affected by conflict. For example, in April, we partnered with the Nagle Sami Foundation, which specializes in supporting people who have lost their loved ones or who have suddenly found themselves alone for any other reason.
Arina is part of a group of psychologists volunteering to provide mental health support.
July 2022
More families were forced to flee Ukraine as the conflict spread. Thousands poured into Moldova with urgent humanitarian needs. Action Against Hunger expanded programs into the country to support refugees and the people hosting them with food, hygiene kits, and cash transfers.
Moldova for Peace Distribution Center.
December 2022
Action Against Hunger launched new programs in Odessa and Mykolaiv, which had suffered the brunt of the conflict in the spring and left families with shattered homes and livelihoods. To ensure safe water access for communities, our teams worked quickly to repair damaged water treatment plants and water distribution networks.
Water utility workers and polyethylene pipes provided by Action Against Hunger.
We also strengthened medical supply chains for our medical partners, bolstering their capacity to meet healthcare needs. New mental health programs were developed to help families cope with the trauma of conflict and loss.
Valentyna attends psychosocial sessions with the hope of overcoming trauma.
By the end of 2022, Action Against Hunger teams had helped more than 480,000 people across the country.
February 2023
Over 8 million Ukrainians had been displaced by February 2023. Destroyed food systems made food too expensive for families to afford, putting an estimated 10 million people in Ukraine in need of food aid. Responding to increasing food insecurity, Action Against Hunger made plans to expand its distribution of food and basic necessities to the south.
June 2023
On June 6th, the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed, triggering a humanitarian and ecological catastrophe. Within a matter of hours, Action Against Hunger, local authorities, and humanitarian partners were on site to provide hot meals and clean water to victims.
Photo credit: Pavlo Bohuslavets from Solidarités International
August 2023
As airstrikes lessened in Ivanivka, a village near the front line, displaced residents began to return. Action Against Hunger was one of the few organizations to intervene in this area. We supported these returnees through a three-month financial assistance program and group psychosocial support sessions, reaching around 250 people per month to aid recovery and rebuilding efforts amid continued insecurity.
Arthur De Poortere
Arthur De Poortere
Action Against Hunger provides financial assistance in Ivanivka village, Barvinkivska community.
December 2023
Action Against Hunger supported 675,364 people in 2023 in Ukraine, providing support for health, mental health and psychosocial care, water, hygiene and sanitation, as well as food security and livelihoods.
Arthur De Poortere
Action Against Hunger, Ukraine
Action Against Hunger supported 675,364 people in 2023 in Ukraine.
February 2024
With intense fighting still under way, our operational priorities for 2024 were determined to be: increasing food security, particularly for displaced and vulnerable people; facilitating access to primary healthcare and psychological support; and guaranteeing access to water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH).
October 2024
An increase in air attacks, particularly in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, delayed equipment deliveries and forced Action Against Hunger to follow restrictive security protocols, slowing down our programs and increasing their costs in those areas.
As winter approached and civilian energy infrastructure continued to be targeted, Action Against Hunger helped people prepare for the colder season by providing solar heat pumps, winterization kits, and agricultural support like small greenhouses to bolster food security for winter.
February 2025
After three years of war, we had to stop distributing cash to families displaced near the frontline due to a loss of funding when USAID was suspended. The cuts also caused temporary interruptions to our psychosocial support programs for traumatized children and teenagers.
ACF’s psychologist conducting a Distress Protocol session for a group of teenagers in the Kharkiv rehabilitation center for children, Kharkivska oblast.
We increased focus on food distribution, and Action Against Hunger sent mobile kitchens in rural communities on the frontlines in May, where fighting was intensifying and limiting access to essential goods.
Hot meals ready to be distributed to ~400 people in Levivka, Kharkivska, Ukraine.
Action Against Hunger began working with the local organization Perspektyva in Mykolaiv to support women-led businesses in conflict-affected areas, providing essential goods and services and helping to rebuild local economies.
Iryna received training and grants to develop her business in Mykolaiv, near the front line.
January 2025
Action Against Hunger’s mobile health unit was sent to Shyroke village, Dnipropetrovsk region to support displaced families in need of health services. One primary focus was supporting the wellbeing of pregnant and breastfeeding women with nutrition and lifestyle advice.
Anton Shynkarenko
Action Against Hunger, Ukraine
Action Against Hunger set up mobile health teams that travel to hard-to-reach areas in the Dnipro and Kharkiv regions. This team, made up of a doctor, a nurse, a midwife, and a gynecologist, provides health care and medicines to the most vulnerable people.
August 2025
Significant Russian advances into eastern Ukraine led to a surge of displacement: 14,000 people fled following a mandatory evacuation order issued by Ukrainian authorities on July 24th. Action Against Hunger was able to launch a cash response to respond to a surge in displacement in Eastern Ukraine.
Rapid emergency response mechanism in Eastern Ukraine.
Present
Over 3.6 million people are currently displaced within Ukraine, while 6.8 million people have become refugees in other countries, according to the UN. The conflict continues to harm food security and put families at risk. At least 12.1 million people are in now need of urgent humanitarian support. Action Against Hunger continues to adapt and meet the needs of vulnerable families, supporting health and helping them live with dignity and hope.
A father and daughter at a shelter for displaced people in Zaporizhia.
