(New York, 24 February 2022): The United Nations today allocated US$20 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to immediately scale up life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection to civilians in Ukraine following the recent increase in hostilities.

The funds will support emergency operations along the contact line in the eastern oblasts of Donetska and Luhanska and in other areas of the country.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths warned that the military escalation will have a high impact on civilian lives, and he reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s call for an immediate ceasefire.

“The CERF funds are life-saving,” said Mr. Griffiths. “They will help with health care, shelter, food, and water and sanitation to the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict, including women and girls, the elderly and the displaced.”

The allocation will also support the prevention of gender-based violence and other protection-related services, as well as education, logistics and telecommunications.

Before the recent escalation, some 2.9 million children, women and men were already affected by eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine, and humanitarian partners needed $190 million to help 1.8 million of the country’s most vulnerable people. We urgently require increased funding for the humanitarian response, as there will be an increase in the number of people who need assistance.

Humanitarian operations in Ukraine and elsewhere are guided by the internationally recognized principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and operational independence.

CERF is one of the fastest and most effective ways to ensure that urgently needed humanitarian assistance reaches people caught up in crises. Established as a pooled donor fund, CERF enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance whenever and wherever crises strike.

For further information, please contact:

In New York, Jaspreet Kindra, kindra@un.org, + 1 929 273 8109

In Geneva, Jens Laerke, laerke@un.org, +41 79 472 9750

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.