As attacks intensify, UNHCR urges support for war-ravaged Ukrainians

GENEVA – As a dark winter looms and Russian strikes intensify across Ukraine, hitting civilian and humanitarian structures and triggering movements within the country, UNHCR is calling on the international community to stay the course and keep supporting those who remain as well as those who have found refuge.

The attacks on Ukraine are relentless, occurring day and night and targeting critical energy infrastructure, which risks prolonged power outages, leaving millions without heating, electricity and limited access to water and other essentials.

The increase in long-range missile and drone strikes means there is no safe place in Ukraine. Civilians, including those far from the front line, face threats to their safety and homes and often struggle to access services.

UNHCR, together with a strong network of Ukrainian NGO partners, continues to provide emergency assistance and protection, including shelter support, legal aid, mental health counselling and cash assistance.

But UNHCR and partners have faced repeated attacks affecting personnel, vehicles and facilities. Between 1 September and 14 October, 10 security incidents impacted UNHCR personnel or partners, including drone and aerial strikes on or near humanitarian teams, offices and warehouses, or vehicles clearly marked as delivering aid. These put humanitarian workers at risk and damaged critical assets used to deliver assistance. UNHCR calls on the Russian Federation to cease attacks on civilians and reiterates that humanitarian workers and assets must be protected and not treated as targets.

Internal displacement is expected to continue, as evacuations from front-line areas have increased significantly. Since January 2026, over 136,000 evacuees have been received at all UNHCR-supported transit centres, around 70 per cent more than the nearly 80,000 who passed through sites in front-line communities during 2025. This figure is only a portion of the total number of evacuees from frontline areas, as many people do not seek support at transit facilities.

Many of those forced to flee are particularly vulnerable: almost 40 per cent are elderly, while a significant number are people with disabilities. In all, 10.8 million people inside Ukraine need humanitarian assistance.

At the same time, almost 5.2 million refugees from Ukraine remain across Europe. At the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022, European countries responded with extraordinary solidarity, providing millions with immediate access to protection and assistance.

Temporary Protection and similar arrangements gave millions of refugees swift access to legal status, rights and services. Over time, the response has shifted from emergency assistance towards access to employment, enrolment in national services and helping refugees become more self-reliant.

Progress towards longer-term inclusion in national systems is visible. According to an inter-agency survey released yesterday, as of 2025, 67 per cent of adult Ukrainian refugees in nine countries were employed and 84 per cent of refugee children were enrolled in national schools, showing progress can be achieved when refugees are given the opportunity to contribute to host societies.

Increased refugee employment is contributing to labour supply, local consumption and tax contributions. Recent research by Deloitte found that in 2025, Ukrainian refugees generated 2.4 per cent of Poland’s GDP, equivalent to some $ 24.4 billion.

At the same time, after four and a half years of displacement, signs of fatigue are emerging, as pressures on host countries and communities grow. With anti-refugee rhetoric and hostility on the rise in parts of Europe, maintaining solidarity and support for both refugees and the communities hosting them is critical.

Many Ukrainian refugees continue to struggle to find affordable housing or employment that matches their skills and qualifications. Older people, those with disabilities, single-parent households and others in vulnerable situations face particular challenges and need further support. This is therefore not a moment to disengage. It is a moment to protect the progress already made and stand with Ukrainians as they brace for the uncertainties of the months ahead.

For further information, please contact:

• In Geneva (regional): Kathryn Porteous, [email protected], +33 6 70 72 51 94
• In Geneva: Matthew Saltmarsh, [email protected], +41 79 967 99 36

Notes for editors

Inter-agency paper "Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Ukraine Situation 2022-2026: From emergency response to solutions" highlights the collective achievements of the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for the Ukraine Situation, sharing lessons learned, remaining challenges, and looking ahead to the next phase of refugee protection, inclusion and solutions.

The inter-agency report "Advancing Inclusion, Closing Gaps" details the 2025 Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) across nine RRP host countries, highlighting progress and remaining gaps in refugees’ socio-economic inclusion, health, education and protection, and providing an evidence base to inform policy decisions.