As freezing temperatures take hold and shelling continues across eastern Ukraine, a consortium of NGOs supported by the European Union is calling for urgent action to expand lifesaving, disability-inclusive assistance for communities most at risk in the east of the country.

A worsening situation across eastern Ukraine

The humanitarian situation across Ukraine remains critical, particularly in the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovska and Kharkiv, where ongoing conflict and repeated attacks have severely affected civilians and essential infrastructure. According to OCHA, an estimated 12.7 million people are in urgent need of assistance. Needs are especially acute in frontline areas where the consortium operates. ActionAid, which leads the consortium, highlights that many older people and people with disabilities are experiencing isolation and face barriers to moving to safety or accessing essential services, while local responders struggle to meet increasing needs and humanitarian assistance becomes ever more complex and dangerous to deliver.

“Older people are facing a double challenge: the cold and loneliness,” says Victoriia Panchenko, Head of the HelpAge International Representative Office in Ukraine.

“Many have lost their homes due to the war, and even more cannot evacuate because of loneliness, deteriorating health, or fear of leaving their hometowns, remaining in danger in frontline areas. For these people, even reaching a hospital, pharmacy, or shop has become nearly impossible due to constant shelling and damaged infrastructure.”

Reaching those in hard-to-reach areas

2025 saw the heaviest Ukrainian civilian casualties in more than three years of war. Humanitarian workers and volunteers have also been killed and injured while providing lifesaving assistance. Attacks on humanitarian personnel remain a grave risk, particularly near the frontlines.

Despite this situation, the NGOs have reached more than 5,000 people across the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv oblasts, providing safe evacuations, home care, psychosocial support, assistive devices, and winterization cash assistance to those living in hard-to-reach areas. Despite constant attacks, almost 2,500 people were safely evacuated from high-risk locations. However, the number of Ukrainians who need to be rescued from active combat zones is rapidly increasing. East SoS notes: “Many reach out to us in deep anxiety and exhaustion, often after another night of shelling or the destruction of their homes. During these times, the load on our hotline rises sharply — we are now processing up to 30 evacuation requests a day.”

“People can’t wait: they need warm, safe places to sleep, accessible transport for evacuation and care, and clear information to make decisions,” said Kate Raduliak of ActionAid. “Partnering with local groups lets us move faster — especially now, as winter conditions magnify every risk.”

Winter conditions push people to the edge

With temperatures continuing to fall and humanitarian needs intensifying, the NGOs call for sustained and coordinated efforts to maintain safe evacuations, expand home-based care, strengthen psychosocial and inclusive services, and extend mobile outreach to rural and isolated communities. They also urge the pre-positioning of winter supplies, the delivery of cash assistance, and the activation of disaster risk-reduction mechanisms to ensure the safety and dignity of those most affected by conflict and cold.

“Protection and Support for At-Risk Communities in Eastern Ukraine” is a project led by ActionAid, in partnership with HelpAge UK (through HelpAge International) and the local organizations East-SOS, Volunteer68, M.ART.IN-Club, Memory 86 and Pomogaem, and is funded by the  European Union.