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UN asks for $4.2 billion in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, Ukrainian refugees

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UN asks for $4.2 billion in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, Ukrainian refugees
Refugees from Ukraine stand on a platform at the Messebahnhof Laatzen station in Laatzen, Germany, after their arrival on April 15, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The UN released a request on Jan. 15 for $4.2 billion to help support Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that some 14.6 million Ukrainians, approximately 40% of the population, need humanitarian assistance. This figure does not include the estimated 6.3 million Ukrainians forced to flee abroad.

In order to address the needs of those within Ukraine, OCHA requested $3.1 billion, which will support 8.5 million people.

The UN's High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) asked international partners and donors for $1.1 billion, which will target 2.3 million Ukrainian refugees and their host communities abroad.

“Although their plight is no longer in the headlines, millions of refugees from Ukraine still need urgent support,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

According to the statement, only 40-60% of Ukrainian refugees are employed, in many cases underemployed, only around half of school-aged children are actually enrolled in schools, and another quarter of refugees have difficulty accessing quality healthcare.

"Host countries continue to extend protection and include them in society, but many vulnerable refugees still need help," said Grandi.

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Nate Ostiller

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Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

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