Since the war in Ukraine escalated on February 24, 2022, millions of children have faced displacement, loss, and prolonged uncertainty. Now entering another year, the crisis has evolved beyond immediate emergency needs into a protracted humanitarian situation marked by ongoing violence, disrupted services, and long-term instability.
Ukraine crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the war in Ukraine, and learn how to help children and their families.
- Fast facts: Ukraine crisis
- What is the current situation in Ukraine?
- How many people are affected by the war in Ukraine?
- What are the widespread impacts of the crisis in Ukraine?
- How is the war in Ukraine affecting children?
- What’s World Vision doing to help people affected by the war in Ukraine?
- How is World Vision helping people in Ukraine during the winter?
- How many people has World Vision helped since the start of the war in Ukraine?
- How can I help people impacted by the crisis in Ukraine?
Fast facts: Ukraine crisis
- In 2026, an estimated 10.8 million people in Ukraine need humanitarian aid, including 1 in 3 children (2.2 million).
- The conflict in Ukraine has displaced an estimated 3.7 million people within the country and forced 5.9 million to leave the country as of December 2025.
- Children are among the most affected: About 4.6 million children have faced barriers to education, with nearly 1 million relying on remote learning.
- Nearly 1.5 million children are at risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and other mental health conditions.
- Since March 2022, World Vision and partners have reached over 2.35 million people in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and Georgia with lifesaving aid, shelter, child protection programs, and other essentials.
What is the current situation in Ukraine?
The situation in Ukraine remains severe and widespread in 2026. Ongoing hostilities and repeated attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure, including homes, schools, health facilities, and energy systems, continue to disrupt daily life.
Families face:
- Prolonged power outages
- Limited access to heating, water, and healthcare
- Damaged or destroyed housing
- Disruptions to education and livelihoods
How many people are affected by the war in Ukraine?
According to the UNHCR, 10.8 million people need humanitarian aid and protection. In addition to the approximately 5 million people forced to live in Europe, at least 3.7 million more are displaced within Ukraine.
“Today, 2.2 million girls and boys — one in every three children in Ukraine — require urgent humanitarian assistance. On the ground, we see a generation living in a state of constant survival mode. We are witnessing children subjected to multiple displacements, the loss of their parents, and the systematic erosion of daily routines and educational access,” said Arman Grigoryan, World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response Director.
What are the widespread impacts of the crisis in Ukraine?
The war in Ukraine is one of the deadliest conflicts in Europe since World War II and continues to have far-reaching consequences beyond the country’s borders. Conflict has devastated the lives of Ukrainian children and families and has caused economic disruptions to food systems, energy markets, and trade, which have contributed to rising poverty and hunger worldwide.
Inside Ukraine, the impact includes destroyed homes and schools, strained health systems, interrupted education, and growing mental health needs. Children have spent their formative years living through war.
How is the war in Ukraine affecting children?
Eight-year-old Sofia from Kyiv remembers the war beginning on her fifth birthday. “I always thought it would be so cool if the war could end on my birthday, just like it began.” Like Sofia, millions of children are facing extreme challenges.
Blackouts from attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure leave homes, schools, and hospitals without heat, electricity, or water. Children spend long hours in cold, dark homes, increasing illness risk, and one in five families reports health problems linked to indoor cold.
The conflict also drives stress, anxiety, and isolation, while nearly 40% of school-aged children struggle with disrupted online or blended learning. Many shelter in basements during air raid sirens, and millions lack safe water or sanitation, raising disease risks.
“Prolonged exposure to extreme stress can have long-term effects on children’s physical health, emotional stability, and ability to connect with others. For many, the damage is not temporary; it can reshape the very foundations of childhood,” said Anna, a psychologist at the World Vision-supported Child-Friendly Space in Kyiv.
World Vision and partners provide safe spaces, education, and psychological support to help children cope and thrive despite the war.
What’s World Vision doing to help people affected by the war in Ukraine?
Since the onset of the conflict, World Vision has consistently delivered lifesaving aid, shelter, child protection services, and other essentials to support the most vulnerable people. We are bringing our global expertise and local partnerships to respond to the war in Ukraine and throughout the impacted regions.
Operating across every administrative region, known as oblasts, in Ukraine, World Vision collaborates with trusted local and international partners — including the WFP and UNICEF — to assist communities affected by the war. We’ve also implemented a cash assistance program managed by partners in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and Georgia.
Our efforts seek to provide immediate relief and enhance resilience for those most vulnerable to the challenges of winter.
Alongside immediate relief, we are also focused on long-term support through educational programs for children and adults, psychosocial and child protection services, livelihood support, and more, aiding communities in building resilience and recovering from crisis.
What is World Vision doing to help people impacted by the war in Ukraine during the winter?
In response to the harsh winter, we are providing cash assistance for families’ utility costs. Through our local partners, we’re distributing winterization kits, which include mattresses, sleeping bags, blankets, power banks, and portable stoves. We’ve also supplied generators to Child-Friendly Spaces run by partners to ensure continuous support services during blackouts.
“Children in Ukraine are facing extreme hardship this winter,” said Arman Grigoryan, World Vision’s Ukraine Crisis Response director. “In some areas, families go up to 36 hours without heating, electricity, or water. This prolonged lack of basic services puts children’s health at serious risk, disrupts their education, and threatens their overall well-being. Humanitarian support, including winter supplies, safe spaces, and psychosocial assistance, is urgently needed to protect them.”
How many people has World Vision helped since the start of the war in Ukraine?
We’ve been responding since the first week of the crisis. As of January 2026, our staff have provided essentials for approximately 2.35 million people across the region. Here are key figures:
- In Ukraine, our efforts have supported over 1.44 million people, nearly half of whom are children.
- In Romania, we’ve assisted more than 352,000 people with aid, including food, shelter, protection resources, and education and hygiene kits.
- In Moldova, over 510,320 people have been reached through our programming. We continue to support Moldovan families hosting refugees in 17 districts through our partnership with WFP.
- In Georgia, we’ve helped support 40,980 people with education, child protection, and programming, including vouchers for food, hygiene, clothing, and pharmacy costs.
