UNHCR has supported over 2,200 war-damaged communal facilities across Ukraine, keeping essential services running after attacks
UNHCR has supported over 2,200 war-damaged communal facilities across Ukraine, keeping essential services running after attacks
As ongoing Russian attacks continue to damage civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is working closely with authorities, providing emergency shelter response to help repair critical facilities. This ensures that vital functions can continue, and communities can access essential services in the most war-affected areas.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, UNHCR and its NGO partners have supported more than 2,200 community buildings such as administrative service centers (TsNAPs), community centers , centers for social services, and other vital infrastructure like hospitals, kindergartens and schools, with emergency shelter materials. In close coordination with local authorities, UNHCR and partners respond, typically within 48 hours, and deliver necessary materials to enable temporary repairs.
While these interventions are not intended to fully restore the functionality of damaged buildings, they are critical measures to prevent further deterioration caused by wind, rain and snow. By stabilizing buildings until more durable rehabilitation can take place, materials such as tarpaulins and wooden boards help cover damaged roofs and shattered windows, allowing facilities to remain operational in the aftermath of attacks.
UNHCR remains the largest humanitarian provider of emergency shelter materials in Ukraine, working closely with regional and local authorities to identify urgent needs and respond quickly, particularly in areas experiencing frequent attacks.
“Restoring essential services quickly after an attack is critical for communities trying to cope with the daily impact of this war,” says Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, UNHCR’s Representative in Ukraine.
“When an administrative building, clinic, school or social service centre is damaged, it is not just a building that is affected—it disrupts access to essential documentation, healthcare, education and vital support for entire communities. Emergency shelter materials allow for immediate, practical repairs that keep these services running when people need them most and support community resilience. In a context where attacks are frequent and needs are growing, this rapid response is often the difference between services stopping completely or continuing to function.”
Alongside support to critical infrastructure, UNHCR provides emergency shelter kits to families whose homes have been damaged by aerial attacks. So far, since the start of the full-scale invasion, over 600,000 people have received this assistance, enabling them to carry out immediate repairs and remain in their homes despite ongoing insecurity and harsh weather conditions. For the most vulnerable people, UNHCR and its NGO partners also help install the materials, in collaboration with local housing departments.
Beyond the emergency shelter assistance, UNHCR further supports families and communities with more durable repairs and has so far helped to restore over 57,000 homes, damaged by the war, as well common spaces in multi-story residential buildings in the most affected areas, making residents eligible to apply for state compensation.
Access to adequate housing remains a decisive factor for people displaced by the war or to prevent displacement. According to UNHCR’s intention surveys – carried out since the start of the full-scale invasion – following security concerns, housing and access to essential services are among the main barriers to safe and dignified return, highlighting the importance of sustained support to help communities recover and rebuild.
