We won’t leave Ukraine’s children out in the cold this winter

Veteran humanitarian leader Chris Palusky, shares World Vision’s latest strategy for helping Ukraine’s children and their families. 

Download World Vision’s 18-month Ukraine Crisis Response plan here and learn more about the Ukraine Crisis Response here  

1 December, 2022 

I am in Ukraine and it’s cold. And often dark. Power is very intermittent, fuel hard to come by. I have been leading World Vision’s Ukraine Crisis Response for just two months, but I am quickly grasping the sheer scale of challenge here.

It is 280-plus days since the war started, and 17.7 million people are in need, 6.5 million are internally displaced and 7.89 million are refugees in European countries. Around two-thirds of those who fled or are internally displaced are children.  

With more than 5,500 documented attacks on vital civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, the conflict has damaged crucial supply chains and restricted access to services and goods. Within Ukraine, critical infrastructure has been affected, damaged, or destroyed, including approximately 1,900 educational facilities and nearly 300 health facilities.  

Many pharmacies are closed, and stocks of medicines are low, leaving people without access to health care and life-saving medicines. Hundreds of thousands of people are living without access to basic services, such as water, food, and electricity.

And now, winter is here. 

In November, Ukraine saw the season’s first snow, and attacks on energy infrastructure means that children will face temperatures of as low as -20 Celsius. As we plan the next 18 months of work, we have four priorities. You’ll not be surprised to know that helping children deal with winter is one.

1. Deliver life-saving in-kind and cash assistance to meet basic food, shelter and WASH needs this winter and beyond. 
2. Support affected women and children, with child protection, mental health and psychosocial support services and prevent and protect against sexual exploitation and abuse. 
3. Contribute to the provision of inclusive, equitable and quality education for children. 
4. Support equitable, dignified and empowering local partnerships to respond effectively and efficiently to needs. 

Four overarching programming objectives that aim to reach more than 900,000 people. Most of our work will be undertaken through partners; we continue our commitment to localisation efforts by building partner capacity - especially in Ukraine - and empowering them to take the lead in their own community development and social protection.

I feel privileged to join and lead a team that has already reached so many children, and am hopeful that even as power blackouts force Ukraine to celebrate with darkened Christmas trees, our staff, partners and supporters around the world will continue to bring light to the children of Ukraine.  

Chris Palusky is World Vision’s Ukraine Crisis Response. Follow him on LinkedIn here and watch him speak about the plan for Ukraine here.