Ministry of Social Policy and UNHCR strengthen humanitarian support for war-affected individuals
Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy, and Karolina Lindholm Billing, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), signed a Memorandum to enhance cooperation in providing humanitarian support to citizens affected by russia’s armed aggression. Under the agreement, UNHCR will supply the Ministry with essential humanitarian aid for Ukrainians in greatest need. This aid will specifically support family-type children’s homes, equipping them with necessary items to ensure comfortable and safe living conditions for children in a family environment.
“We’ve taken another step towards deeper and more systematic cooperation with UNHCR. We’re grateful to our partners for their support. This helps us not only respond to the challenges of war but also create an environment where everyone – especially children, the elderly, and people with disabilities – can live safely and with dignity. We’re working to ensure that everyone needing help and care can access support in their community, and that the most vulnerable have a home, even if they’ve had to leave their own. This humanitarian aid will address the needs of those affected by the war,” Oksana Zholnovych emphasised.
Under the Memorandum, UNHCR will deliver humanitarian aid from its warehouses in Ukraine to three regional warehouses designated by the Ministry of Social Policy in Cherkasy, Poltava, and Lviv regions. The Ministry will coordinate further distribution through regional social protection departments and centres supporting internally displaced people and other vulnerable groups. The aid includes approximately 350,000 blankets, 150,000 sleeping bags, 70,000 bedding sets, 130,000 mattresses, 100,000 hygiene kits, and other essential items, some of which were donated in kind by UNHCR’s private sector partners.
The humanitarian aid provided by UNHCR is part of a long-standing partnership with the Ministry of Social Policy, rooted in a shared commitment to supporting internally displaced persons and others affected by the war. These commitments are outlined in a 2022 Memorandum of Understanding. The collaboration underscores the importance of ensuring dignified living conditions for those forced to flee their homes due to hostilities.
Karolina Lindholm Billing stated that the aid delivery demonstrated their long-standing collaboration with the Ministry of Social Policy, which focused on providing timely support to those most vulnerable due to russia’s full-scale invasion. She emphasised that the goal was to meet their basic needs with dignity and ensure they were not left alone in hardship. As the war entered its fourth year, she noted that the need for humanitarian assistance remained critical. She also highlighted that the transfer reinforced Ukrainian institutions’ ability to offer essential aid to those who required it most.
The Memorandum is set for three years, with the possibility of extension by mutual agreement.
Recently, UNHCR and the Ministry of Social Policy collaborated closely on providing winter cash assistance to help vulnerable households purchase solid fuel and cover heating costs. Joint efforts also included renovating two sanatoriums in Poltava and Lviv regions to provide temporary housing and social services for internally displaced people.