Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Thanks the United Kingdom for Critical Support of Humanitarian Response in Ukraine [EN/UK]

(Kyiv, 10 April 2025) – As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year since the full-scale invasion, humanitarian needs remain severe across the country as violence continues to impact civilians and civilian infrastructure. In 2025, an estimated 12.7 million people will be in need of humanitarian assistance.

On 8 April, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, met Nick Dyer, the Second Permanent Under-Secretary of the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), during his visit to Kyiv. The Humanitarian Coordinator highlighted that the United Kingdom’s support is crucial for Ukraine, especially during these challenging times for the humanitarian community and the people of Ukraine.

“From all of the humanitarian community and the people whom we assisted, I want to thank you for the unwavering support of the United Kingdom to the people in need here in Ukraine”, stressed Mr Schmale.

In 2024, the United Kingdom was one of the largest donors to the humanitarian community in Ukraine, with more than US$132 million in donor support to aid organizations.

“Moreover, the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) , with the support of the United Kingdom, delivered much-needed support through local partners and civil society organizations to more than 700,000 people, mostly in front-line areas across Ukraine”.

In 2024, more than $94 million – or 60 per cent of all UHF allocations – was granted to Ukrainian national partners, including the NGO Right to Protection, which provides critical assistance to the most vulnerable war-affected communities in Ukraine. The United Kingdom is one of the largest donors to the UHF, providing nearly $44 million in 2024 for critical life-saving activities of humanitarian partners in Ukraine.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Hilary Stauffer, OCHA Ukraine, staufferh@un.org, +380 (50) 444 83 29

About the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund: The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) is a pooled funding mechanism managed by OCHA, designed to provide rapid and flexible financing to address the most pressing humanitarian needs. The UHF has been instrumental in mobilizing and disbursing resources to support life-saving interventions across Ukraine, particularly in areas experiencing the highest levels of war. In 2024, the UHF was the largest OCHA country-based pooled fund in the world, allocating $162 million to life-saving projects of humanitarian organizations. Since the escalation of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the UHF has delivered lifesaving, high-impact support to 7 million people across Ukraine. At least 40 per cent of the UHF funds were directed to national NGOs and local civil society organizations.