UK provides further humanitarian aid focussed on most vulnerable in Ukraine

• £45 million in UK funding confirmed for UN and humanitarian organisations working in Ukraine and the region.
• Support will protect the most vulnerable, including women and children, both in Ukraine and those fleeing the conflict.
• Further UK medical equipment, food and other urgent lifesaving aid to be delivered in coming weeks.

A package of UK support will help reach the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced today (Thursday 5 May). 

UN agencies and charities working on the ground to provide care, support and protection for those in Ukraine and at its borders will receive £45 million in UK funding, as part of a wider package of support. 

Nearly 16 million people are reported to be in need of humanitarian assistance within Ukraine. Over five million refugees have arrived in European countries since the conflict started, making it the fastest-growing refugee crisis since the Second World War. 

Women and children are particularly vulnerable to abuse and harm. Of the £45 million, £15 million will go to the UN Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), to provide immediate life-saving assistance and help tackle sexual and gender-based violence through targeted services, legal support and crisis accommodation. A further £15 million will go to UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, to fund vital services like nutrition for pregnant women and mental health support for children. 

The Foreign Secretary is also announcing today that the UK will provide further deliveries of medical supplies, on top of more than five million items already delivered, including wound care packs to treat over 220,000 patients and around 380,000 packs of medicine. 

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: 

“Britain has stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine throughout this conflict. As one of the largest humanitarian donors we will continue to make sure those bearing the brunt of Putin’s vile war have the lifesaving aid they need.    

“British aid is supporting the most vulnerable in Ukraine, particularly women and children, who are facing increased risk of sexual violence and exploitation.” 

These latest allocations mean the UK’s full £220 million package of support has now been committed to governments and partners to deliver support in Ukraine and the surrounding region. 

Following a request from the Government of Ukraine, the UK has already committed up to £2 million in vital food supplies like dried food, tinned goods and water to areas of Ukraine encircled by Russian forces. Seventeen trucks of food with over 50,000kg of pasta, 10,000kg of rice, 60,000 tins of corned beef and over 80,000 litres of water have already been delivered. 

The UK has already tripled its humanitarian support to Poland, providing £30 million to ensure vital supplies reach those in need, both inside Ukraine and those fleeing the conflict.  

We are also playing a critical role providing expert assistance to countries bordering Ukraine. The UK is deploying a specialist team to Poland to assist the Ukrainian government with gathering evidence and prosecuting war crimes, including experts in conflict-related sexual violence. 

Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said: 

“The war in Ukraine has caused immense human suffering and as always, the highest price is paid by civilians. This generous contribution from the United Kingdom will enable the UN’s Ukraine Humanitarian Fund to scale up the delivery of fast, effective and life-saving aid to people who are caught up in this unfolding nightmare. 

“Managed in-country, the Fund is uniquely positioned to support partners, including front-line local and national NGOs, providing an agile response to the fast changing needs on the ground”. 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors: 

• The £45 million funding will support the following organisations to deliver support on the ground:

• £15 million for the UN Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), to provide immediate life-saving assistance, including healthcare, food, shelter, water and sanitation, and to help tackle sexual and gender-based violence through targeted services, legal support, and crisis accommodation for women and girls. This builds on £18 million already given to UHF by the UK. The UK is the largest donor to the UHF, with our funding already helping to reach over two million people with lifesaving aid. 

• £15 million for UNICEF to provide protection and support for vulnerable groups including women and children in Ukraine, such as nutrition support to pregnant women, mental health support for children and their caregivers, and access to safe water. 

• £10 million for humanitarian organisations operating in Moldova and other border countries to protect vulnerable groups, including women and children fleeing the conflict, ensuring they can meet their basic needs and that children who are far from their schools at home are able to access education. 

• £5 million for the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) in Ukraine to deliver life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable.,This includes provision of health care, safe water and shelter, and sexual and gender-based violence services to tackle discrimination, safeguarding and trafficking. This builds on £10 million already given to IFRC by the UK, which has helped to reach more than a million people in Ukraine and the region with food, water, medicine and other relief items. 

• The UK will provide £20 million for humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian refugees temporarily located in Poland, as well as working with the Polish government to provide support inside Ukraine, including basic services.

• UK funding of up to £3 million is helping provide specialist expertise to the UN through the UN Standby Partnership scheme, including safeguarding specialists, data analysis specialists and experts on cash assistance.