Ukraine and neighbouring countries - Emergency Assistance – SOS Children’s Villages 2022

March 2022 – The humanitarian situation in Ukraine deteriorated significantly following the Russian military offensive beginning 24 February which has resulted in over 2 million people displaced to neighbouring countries including Poland Hungary Romania Moldova and Slovakia and nearly 1.5 million people internally displaced. The UN estimates that over 12 million people will need humanitarian assistance over the next three months and the UNHCR estimates that as many as 4 million people could seek refuge in neighbouring countries. On March 1 2022 humanitarian partners issued appeals for approximately USD 2 billion to support the humanitarian response inside Ukraine over the next three months as well as the humanitarian needs of Ukrainians seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. In light of the complexity of the crisis it is anticipated that humanitarian needs will grow commensurately which will require ongoing donor support to allow partners to scale up their humanitarian response in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. With GAC’s support SOS Children’s Villages is providing assistance to address growing humanitarian needs in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. This project focuses on providing non-food items food assistance and health service increasing access to water sanitation and hygiene and providing protection services for conflict-affected women and children. Project activities include: (1) providing multi-purpose cash and voucher assistance for safe transport and emergency shelter; (2) providing mental health and psychosocial support (including psychosocial first aid) to crisis affected populations; (3) providing food and no-food kits to crisis affected families especially migrants in transit and those in border areas; (4) providing gender-sensitive hygiene and dignity kits; and (5) Providing quality temporary care for unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) in safe accommodations and family reunification services.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased access to emergency gender-responsive shelter non-food items for crisis affected girls boys women and men and (2) increased equitable access to food and health service for crisis affected girls boys women and men; (3) increased access to safe drinking water and gender-sensitive hygiene materials for crisis affected girls boys women and men; and (4) increased equitable access to quality protection services for crisis affected girls and boys especially survivors of sexual and gender based violence and UASC The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.