Maria Koval  aus Kopyliv | © Helvetas/Lesha Berezovskiy

Ukraine

Helvetas has already been present in Ukraine before the war. With Russia's invasion we have expanded our engagement. We help refugees in Ukraine and in the southern neighboring country of Moldova with what they need most at the moment. We also support local families who take in refugees.
© Helvetas/Lesha Berezovskiy
  • Capital
    Kiev
  • Area
    603,500 km²
  • Population
    43,734,000
  • Thematic focus
    Humanitarian Response
    Education and Vocational Skills
    Partnership & Capacity Development
    Market Systems Development
    Agriculture and Nutrition
* Source: UN Data

Emergency shelter, drinking water, home repair, food and cash aid

War has been raging for almost one and a half years now — with catastrophic consequences. More than 17 million people are currently in need of humanitarian aid in Ukraine. According to United Nations estimates, approximately 6.2 million people have been displaced abroad; more than 5 million have become internally displaced in Ukraine (as of July 11, 2023). This is the fastest-growing and largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. The refugees have had to leave everything behind, including loved ones. They need protection, safe shelter, food, hygiene items and the ability to communicate, as well as access to education and work in the medium term.

Donate Now

Support the refugees now
Each donation helps

At the beginning of the war, Helvetas - with the support of Swiss Solidarity and together with Alliance 2015, a network of European NGOs - provided the displaced people from Ukraine with hot meals, mattresses, hygiene items, as well as money credits and vouchers so that they could buy essentials.

In 2022 alone, Helvetas provided humanitarian aid to over 40,500 people in need in Ukraine. In western Ukraine, Helvetas is helping people with drinking water supplies — together with the Swiss organization SKAT Consulting and with DESPRO, a Ukrainian organization. With the support of Swiss Solidarity, Helvetas has already restored access to clean drinking water and improved water supplies for over 30,000 people.

Helvetas is helping to expand emergency shelters for internally displaced persons. These are Ukrainians who had to flee because of the war and are now living in another place in their home country; many were housed in school buildings, among other places, which are now being used for teaching again. Emergency housing had to be found as quickly as possible for the internally displaced people. Helvetas is helping local authorities develop suitable buildings, find the necessary equipment and set up the infrastructure (for example, heating and washing facilities, kitchens).

Through our "Cash for Repairs" program, we support the repair of houses damaged by the war so that people have a roof over their heads, among other things. Those in need receive money and know-how to repair their houses and infrastructure (heaters, doors, windows, etc.) so that they are as habitable as possible.

Helvetas is expanding its emergency aid in Ukraine - also thanks to Swiss Solidarity - to support even more people. Not only in Kiev and Ivano-Frankivsk, but also in Kharkiv and Ternopil. Helvetas supports local, smaller initiatives that take care of aid and reconstruction. For example, we support small workshops - financially and with know-how - so that people can repair destroyed infrastructure themselves. And we rely on so-called circular construction: (War) rubble and used materials are used for reconstruction or recycled for new projects. For example, benches and tables are made from pallets. After the end of the war, Helvetas will intensify the reconstruction - also thanks to the already well-functioning cooperation with the communities and local partner organizations.

The Ukrainian agricultural and food industry has also been affected by the war — including the organic sector, which Helvetas supported before the war. Helvetas continues to support Ukrainian organic farmers. On the one hand, the organic farming families are helping to ensure that the people of Ukraine retain access to healthy, nutritious and sustainably grown food. And on the other hand, it's about ensuring that producers don't lose their livelihoods, but can expand their business relationships and thus hire more workers.

Eighty-year-old Halina welcomes Lilia from Repair Facilitation Ukraine. Halina Vasilevna and her family spent 20 days in the cellar before escaping from the village to other part of Ukraine. When she returned, the house was uninhabitable, all windows were smashed. Thanks to the Repair Facilitation Ukraine and the financial support of Helvetas, Halina's house will be soon repaired. | © Iva Zímová
80-year-old Halina Vasilevna and her family spent 20 days in the basement before escaping. When they returned, the house was uninhabitable, with all the windows smashed. Thanks to Repair Facilitation Ukraine and financial support from Helvetas, her house will be repaired soon - May 2023. © Iva Zímová
1/10
A drawing of how one room will look in the future children's center and a photo of how the room looked before the reconstruction. Helvetas helped financially to replace ten broken windows and installed electricity in the rooms. | © Iva Zímová
A daycare center as it looked before and as it will soon look like, when the broken windows are replaced and electricity is installed - May 2023. © Iva Zímová
2/10
© Iva Zímová
Lyuba's family did not flee because her father is ill. Cluster bombs and rockets destroyed the roof and windows of their house. "My husband was killed. He had just arrived in the car, I was already hiding in the basement. I ran out, but it was already too late” – May 2023. © Iva Zímová
3/10
Repair of the roof that was damaged by two rockets at 33 Otakara Yarosha Street | © Iva Zímová
Local workers are repairing a roof damaged by rockets in Kharkiv - May 2023. © Iva Zímová
4/10
"You see, we have all the windows fixed" said Tonya Vasilivna. "We weren't here when shrapnells were flying everywhere and damaged our roof, windows, rooms. Now we have roof fixed and windows thanks to Helvetas and DESPRO Helvetas’ partner organization". | © Iva Zímová/Panos Pictures
Tonya Vasilivna is delighted with her new windows. "We weren't here when the shrapnel was flying everywhere, destroying our roof, windows and rooms." Now the roof and windows are repaired thanks to the joint efforts of our partner organization DESPRO and Helvetas - May 2023. © Iva Zímová/Panos Pictures
5/10
Helvetas setzt auf zirkuläres Bauen: Nichts wird weggeworfen. Aus gebrauchten Paletten werden Bänke und Tische hergestellt. | © Iva Zímová/Panos Pictures
Helvetas relies on circular construction: nothing is thrown away. Benches and tables are made from used pallets – May 2023. © Iva Zímová/Panos Pictures
6/10
Maria Koval  aus Kopyliv | © Helvetas/Lesha Berezovskiy
Maria Koval from Kopyliv says she is grateful that she was able to have the masonry of her house repaired – November 2022 © Helvetas/Lesha Berezovskiy
7/10
Lyubov Olhovets (Makariw) | © Helvetas/Lesha Berezovskiy
Lyubov Olhovets from Makariw has received new windows thanks to the financial support of Helvetas – November 2022 © Helvetas/Lesha Berezovskiy
8/10
© Helvetas/Lesha Berezovskiy
Valentyna Goretska from Makariw in front of her new windows – November 2022.  © Helvetas/Lesha Berezovskiy
9/10
© Helvetas / Patrick Rohr
A Moldovan host family in Căuşeni that has taken in a refugee family in their home and is financially supported by Helvetas – März 2022. © Helvetas / Patrick Rohr
10/10

Help in the neighboring country Moldova

Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, has taken in many refugees from Ukraine. More than 870,000 people (as of 07/24/2023) have fled across the Moldovan-Ukrainian border since the war broke out. Most arrive with very little besides the clothes on their backs.

Thanks to Internet access, refugees can make phone calls to relatives and organize their onward travel, and children can participate in digital education. In rest areas, particularly vulnerable refugees are provided with the essentials. Transport buses — which are also organized by Helvetas — take the refugees from the border to reception centers or to the capital, Chisinau.

Most of the refugees are living with host families in Moldova. Helvetas, with the support of Swiss Solidarity and the SDC, provides financial assistance to these families — who barely have enough to get by themselves. Read more about this in the country portrait of Moldova.

 

Donate Now

Support the refugees now
Each donation helps

Enough to eat and an income - even in times of war

The Ukrainian agricultural and food industry has also been affected by the war — including the organic sector, which Helvetas supported before the war. Helvetas continues to support Ukrainian organic farmers. On the one hand, the organic farming families are helping to ensure that the people of Ukraine retain access to healthy, nutritious and sustainably grown food. And on the other hand, it's about ensuring that producers don't lose their livelihoods, but can expand their business relationships and thus hire more workers.

Education and Vocational Skills

Lack of education perpetuates inequality because poor countries cannot compete economically without a skilled workforce.

Private Sector Development

Youth need access to reliable, fairly paid jobs to break the cycle of poverty. Helvetas creates partnerships and promotes policies that build more inclusive economies.

Youth

Young people are a tremendous asset, but also a possible threat when denied access to labor markets, services and decision-making. Almost every second unemployed person is aged between 15 and 24.