Ukraine

14 current projects

22.8 m. € m. € funding in 2023

169,000 people reached in 2023

Country Office Ukraine Country Office Ukraine

Our Profile

Ukraine, often called Europe's breadbasket, is one of the world's largest exporters of wheat and grain. Since February 2022, Russia has been waging full-scale war against Ukraine, millions have been displaced, and infrastructure and housing have suffered extensive damage. The war's impact on grain exports has had severe global food securityimplications. Welthungerhilfe (WHH) began operations in Ukraine in March 2022 to address the humanitarian crisis. Registered as an International Non-Governmental Organization in August 2022, WHH leads the Joint Emergency Response in Ukraine (JERU). Initially comprising Alliance2015 members, the partnership now operates as a "one-team approach" between WHH and Concern Worldwide, following Cesvi's departure in December 2023. With combined funding and staff, WHH and Concern work jointly to deliver vital humanitarian aid and support to those affected by the ongoing conflict.

What We Do

WHH supports communities to break free from hunger and poverty by fostering resilience and sustainability in food systems. Guided by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal to eradicate hunger by 2030, WHH collaborates with global and local partners to achieve “Zero Hunger” wherever we operate. In response to rising conflicts and climate shocks, we adopt holistic, system-strengthening approaches to ensure food access becomes more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient—building long-term solutions for a world free from hunger.

WHH operates from its Kyiv office with regional offices in Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Sumy, ensuring broad reach and coordinated relief efforts.

Zwei Männer laden Säcke ab. — Mykolaiv Oblast, in the south of Ukraine: Humanitarian workers from the partner organization Angels of Salvation unload sacks of solid fuel briquettes and move from one household to another © Jeru/Welthungerhilfe

News from Ukraine

WHH Ukraine Approaches

An estimated 12,7 million people in Ukraine are in need of humanitarian assistance. WHH aims to reach as many as possible. We provide cash (including rapid response multi-purpose cash assistance), in-kind assistance (where cash is not possible), delivering food, hygiene kits, and essential household items to vulnerable populations in remote areas and collective centers. Our winterization support includes firewood, solid fuel briquettes, heating stoves, and funding for utility costs and minor house repairs, ensuring communities can endure harsh winters.

Cash assistance empowers families to meet urgent needs like food and health care, while psychosocial support focuses on the emotional well-being of children, adults, and older people, particularly in isolated rural areas, where offline schooling is interrupted, and freedom of movement is limited due to the ongoing war. Through livelihoods programs, WHH provides grants, vocational training, and job placement services to foster economic recovery and opportunity creation.

WHH’s commitment to community assistance strengthens local organizations, enabling them to deliver aid effectively. By focusing on localization, we empower Ukrainian civil society to lead sustainable, locally driven humanitarian responses.

Our Approaches Explained

Multipurpose cash aid empowers households to cover basic needs independently.

We supply solid fuel, stoves, and cash for utility costs while assisting with minor house repairs to ensure communities stay warm during harsh winters.

WHH provides food, hygiene kits, and household essentials in hard-to-reach areas and collective centers, supporting those in urgent need.

Focused care helps children, adults, and the elderly cope with the conflict’s psychological toll.

Grants for family businesses and small and medium enterprises, that were affected by the war, enable individuals and businesses to recover, fostering local economic revival and creating job opportunities. Increasing employability of people who lost their jobs through vocational education and training (reskilling), job placement (paid internships) and job fairs.

Funding community organizations and volunteer groups enhances aid delivery to areas of active hostilities and evacuation of people from these places.

Strengthening Ukrainian civil society ensures a sustainable, locally led humanitarian response. Supporting important projects for communities.