
3 months of war in Ukraine: voices from the humanitarian frontlines
Three months into the conflict, CARE staff and partners inside Ukraine and the surrounding areas share insights from the frontlines
Ukraine ranks 74 out of 189 on the Human Development Index (HDI). CARE International's work supports internally displaced people in Ukraine, and refugees seeking safety in neighboring countries.
CARE International has worked in Ukraine since 2022 in response to rapidly escalating humanitarian needs due to the conflict with Russia.
Millions of Ukrainians have fled into neighboring countries like Poland, Romania and Moldova to escape conflict. Even prior to the invasion, years of conflict in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine had left 2.9 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and displaced 1.5 million people from their homes.
CARE International is responding regionally to support internally displaced people in Ukraine and refugees and host communities in neighboring countries.
CARE International is working through partners in Poland, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. CARE International and our partners are providing immediate relief and aid in the form of food, shelter, blankets, diapers and hygiene products as well as food, water, cash and psychosocial support.
In Ukraine CARE International supports partner organizations with a strong track record of development and humanitarian programming in Ukraine. These include CFSSS (Charity Foundation Stabilization Support Services) and IRF (International Renaissance Foundation) as well as four Ukrainian Women’s Rights Organizations to implement programs that support women and other marginalized groups in areas of conflict in Ukraine. CARE’s humanitarian aid inside Ukraine is focused on cash assistance, shelter and non-food items, food security, health (including sexual, reproductive and maternal health) as well as protection. All activities have a strong gender focus.
Three months into the conflict, CARE staff and partners inside Ukraine and the surrounding areas share insights from the frontlines
After more than two months of war in Ukraine, which has forced millions of refugees and displaced people to flee their homes, a new Rapid Gender Analysis by UN Women and CARE reveals that women and minorities are facing immense hardship when it comes to health, safety and access to food as a result of the crisis.
The aid was delivered to the Ukrainian Red Cross logistics center in Uzhhorod in western Ukraine, and from there it was distributed to affected people in Ukraine on the same day.
6.5 million people have fled since the war began inside Ukraine. People who have had to leave their homes and often family members behind. Women, children, and elderly people who need a safe roof over their heads, a job but also food, baby nutrients and hygiene items such as soap and shampoo.
Karl-Otto Zentel is secretary general of CARE Germany. He was recently in Ukraine to support humanitarian aid on the ground.
It is a small place, sparsely furnished, clothes are piled up in the corner. It looks like a kind of closet if it were not for the six mattresses that are squeezed tightly together on the floor. “This is where we live at the moment,” says Oleksandra, who fled Mariupol with her children and grandchildren and has been living in this small room for over a month. There are a few suitcases and bags with clothes on the floor next to the mattresses. “That's all we could save,” says Oleksandra. “We had a future, but it was taken from us on February 24 – the beginning of the war in Ukraine.”
This Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA), carried out by UN Women and CARE International, seeks to draw attention to the gender dynamics in the humanitarian crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine. The RGA also proposes recommendations for humanitarian leadership, actors and donors to ensure consideration of the gendered dimensions of risk, vulnerability and capabilities in response to this crisis.
This Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) seeks to draw attention to the gender dynamics in the war in Ukraine—both preexisting and emerging—and draws out recommendations for humanitarian leadership, actors, and donors.
This Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) researched by CARE highlights the most significant gender and protection issues for Ukrainians in Poland and flags urgent actions required to address them.
In 2021, CARE worked around the world, contributing to saving lives, defeating poverty, and achieving social justice.