Through the Ukraine Response Consortium, supported by the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), Acted and its partners address the immediate multi-sectoral humanitarian needs of conflict affected persons in Ukraine.
Since 1st September 2023, Acted, in collaboration with CARE, the Estonian Refugee Council, World Vision, Right to Protection, IMPACT Initiatives, and several Ukrainian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), is responding to the immediate multi-sectoral humanitarian needs of conflict-affected populations in Ukraine through the Ukraine Response Consortium (URC). This initiative is supported by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).
The conflict in Ukraine has resulted in widespread damage to infrastructure, thousands of civilian casualties, large-scale displacement, and disruptions to basic services across the country. Over 3.6 million people remain internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine, while 4.7 million returned home after displacement. Additionally, 6.3 million people remain in conflict-affected areas,, requiring humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs. These needs are often most acute during the winter period, due to power outages, limited access to rural and isolated communities, and fluctuations in market functionality
Winterization is a core part of URC’s approach to meeting humanitarian needs in Ukraine. Acted’s 2024 Frontline Winterization Assessment indicates that 65% of households near the frontline see the preparation to the winter season as a top priority. Learning from the 2023-24 winter response, Acted recognizes the need to provide timely and flexible assistance, while mitigating the impact of external conditions including energy infrastructure damage and heating fuel price fluctuations, on the delivery of assistance.
In 2024-5, Acted and URC partners will support the most vulnerable conflict-affected communities near the frontline and IDPs in collective centers with targeted winterization assistance, including:
- The distribution of winter non-food items and solid fuel (reaching over 3,000 individuals)
- The rehabilitation of centralized heating infrastructures (reaching over 10,000 individuals)
- The Distribution of cash-for-heating (reaching over 14,000 individuals)
- Grants to local Civil Society Organizations to deliver winterization assistance to conflict-affected communities in a flexible manner.
As a result of winterization assistance, the Ukraine Response Consortium will alleviate the substantial impact the winter period has on humanitarian needs.
Through the evidence we see and collect on the field, we know that winterization is a priority need for people living in areas affected by hostilities in Ukraine - that's why it is one of the main priorities of all humanitarian actors here, including of URC partners. That's also why we make a huge effort every year to ensure aid is provided timely before winter begins, an effort that starts months before the cold season begins and includes many preparation stages - from fundraising and needs assessments to creating logistical supply chains and engaging with local partners for last-mile delivery. The support from BHA allows us to provide a flexible, diversified winterization support, covering different levels of needs of populations and institutions in a timely manner, which is exactly what we know is most needed for the population affected by the war.
Acted’s partner Dobra Sprava, distributing solid fuel (firewood) in Dnipropetrovska , December 2023.
CONTACTS:
Shelby Searles, Ukraine Response Consortium Coordinator: shelby.searles@acted.org
Martina Bergamaschi, Deputy Country Director (Programmes): martina.bergamaschi@acted.org
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