The United Nations’ refugee agency announced on Friday that it has had to scale back assistance for newly displaced individuals in Ukraine due to escalating frontline attacks, attributing this reduction to the halt of U.S. aid and cuts from other donors. Global humanitarian organizations are facing challenges following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw foreign aid. Karolina Lindholm Billing, the UNHCR Representative in Ukraine, informed reporters via videolink that several programs previously funded by U.S. contributions are currently suspended.
These programs include essential psycho-social support, emergency shelter supplies, and cash assistance. The withdrawal of U.S. aid, which constituted 40% of UNHCR’s funding last year, has had a significant impact, compounded by other Western donors who are also scaling back in favor of increased defense spending. Consequently, the agency’s appeal for $3.32 billion to assist 8.2 million individuals in Ukraine is only 25% funded. Billing emphasized the need to reduce the number of prioritized individuals and called on donors for financial support.
LSince January, nearly 9,000 individuals escaping intense shelling in Ukraine have utilized UNHCR’s transit centers in Pavlohrad and Sumy, where they receive clothing, hygiene kits, and legal and psycho-social assistance. Billing noted that these individuals arrive with minimal belongings and are often severely traumatized. The agency reports that over 200,000 people have been evacuated or displaced from frontline regions between August of last year and March.
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Recent attacks have occurred in several areas, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Pavlohrad, during a critical phase of Russia’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as Trump aims to fulfill his commitment to a swift peace agreement.
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