UN seeks $2.3B for Ukraine aid as war approaches fifth year

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has unveiled a $2.3 billion funding appeal for 2026 to support humanitarian operations in Ukraine as the war with Russia approaches its fifth year.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke said an estimated 10.8 million people across Ukraine will require humanitarian assistance this year, including internally displaced people and others affected by the prolonged conflict.

Noting that aid efforts under the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan will focus on food, health care, shelter, protection, cash assistance and other essential support, he said, to implement the plan, humanitarian partners are seeking $2.3 billion in funding to reach 4.1 million of the most vulnerable people.

Laerke warned that widespread disruptions to power and heating during extreme winter conditions are creating what he described as a "crisis within a crisis and pushing vulnerable communities to the breaking point."

He said front-line areas and northern border regions face the "highest humanitarian needs" due to intensified shelling, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and persistent disruptions to essential services.

People living in territories controlled by Russia "remain largely cut off from basic services and protection systems," he said, adding that humanitarian access to those areas remains "extremely limited."