Enabling the local response: Emerging humanitarian priorities in Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022 led to an estimated 16 million people either displaced from their homes or struggling to survive under extreme conflict conditions – and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. What amounts to a massive, sudden-onset emergency involving high risks for aid operations has brought challenges both new and familiar to the international aid system. Although the situation continues to change daily, some key features and issues of the evolving aid response have become clear. A review of data and interviews with national and international humanitarian actors and experts during May 2022 revealed the following broad trends and issues.

This brief describes the state of the humanitarian response in Ukraine three months after Russia’s military invasion threw tens of millions of people into crisis. It summarises the findings of a rapid review conducted by Humanitarian Outcomes in May 2022, which included interviews with 60 informants from national and international humanitarian aid groups as well as donor governments (list appended), and data on aid operations and funding. The brief focuses specifically on aid activities inside Ukraine as opposed to in refugee-hosting neighbouring countries, and figures are current as of 20 May 2022.