Clusters
Clusters
With the establishment of the humanitarian cluster system, the humanitarian community as a whole is better organized and more accountable to the people in need: the different agencies and organizations work from a common strategy and share good practices, they address gaps and ensure that duplication is avoided.
The cluster system exists on a global level, but can be activated at national, or subnational, level in response to an emergency. At the country level, clusters are usually co-led by a UN Agency and an NGO.
In Ukraine, the Humanitarian Cluster System was activated in 2014 – and since then, it has played a vital role in coordinating the humanitarian response in the country. In Ukraine, UNHCR leads the Protection Cluster and the Shelter/NFI Cluster.
Protection Cluster
UNHCR leads the Protection Cluster in Ukraine, alongside Right to Protection as co-chair at national and sub-national level.
The Protection Cluster coordinates the response enabling to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of war-affected people, including those displaced, and promotes the centrality of protection within the humanitarian response in Ukraine. It sets strategies and technical standards, develops response and preparedness plans, gathers and analyses information, fundraises and advocates on behalf of over 300 protection partners united within the cluster.
There are two specialized areas of protection response: Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence. In addition, the Protection Cluster is supported by Technical Working Groups contributed by its members, focusing on legal aid, age and disability, LGBTIQ+ inclusion, House, Land and Property, protection case management and anti-trafficking. Since 2026, the Protection Cluster is also responsible for the multi-sectoral coordination in transit centers and collective sites in Ukraine.
Key activities of the Protection Cluster partners:
Legal assistance
Psychosocial support
Case management and other forms of social support like social accompaniment, transportation and referrals
Life-saving information provision
Individual protection assistance (cash & in-kind)
Community-based protection activities
Protection monitoring and assessments
Advocacy and capacity building to enable localization, quality and support to service providers
Multi-sectoral coordination, site management and community engagement in transit centers and collective sites
Latest Documents & Resources:
➾ Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 – Protection Cluster Strategy (Annex)
➾ Protection Cluster Ukraine Quarterly Newsletter № 5 | July - December 2025
➾ Protection Cluster Hub Factsheets: East | South | Central-West
Shelter and Non-Food Item (SNFI) Cluster
UNHCR leads the Shelter/NFI Cluster in Ukraine, alongside People in Need serving as co-chair in the Kharkiv hub.
In partnership with more than 120 partners, the Shelter/NFI Cluster delivers lifesaving shelter assistance to people affected by the war, evacuations, and strikes – supporting frontline communities and vulnerable internally displaced persons, including those living in collective centers. The Shelter/NFI Cluster ensures quality and accountability across all partners through shared standards, technical guidance, and coordinated, data-driven action.
Working closely with national and local authorities, the Sheter/NFI Cluster promotes a gradual transition from emergency response to recovery, aligning humanitarian shelter assistance with government-led programmes and longer term housing solutions.
Key Activities of the Shelter/NFI Cluster partners:
Emergency shelter support
Essential household items
Winter heating and insulation
Repairs and refurbishment of damaged homes, essential social facilities, and collective centers
Rental assistance
Technical and coordination support