Protecting innocent lives in Ukraine

Violent attacks have intensified across Ukraine in the past month, with large-scale strikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and other regions killing dozens of innocent people, including children.

Amidst the chaos, our compassionate supporters are helping vulnerable families like Nadiia’s find safety and stability.

Nadiia and her four-year-old daughter, Valentyna, are from the city of Kramatorsk in the hard-hit Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. When Russian forces launched a ground offensive in 2025, their lives were at stake.

“It’s dangerous to live there in Kramatorsk now,” says Nadiia. “It was our only option to leave.”

While Nadiia and Valentyna were evacuating, Nadiia’s parents were also under heavy fire. Violent attacks tore the roof off their house and shattered the windows, leaving them with no choice but to flee. Nadiia was especially worried about her father. In addition to surviving a war, he is also fighting cancer.

All four found safety together at a college dormitory in Poltava, which has served as an emergency shelter since the full-scale war began in 2022. These shelters accommodate extremely vulnerable families with nowhere else to go – often single mothers or grandparents caring for young children.

Thanks to generous donors like you, UNHCR renovated the dormitory to improve living conditions. This included upgrading kitchens, bathrooms, water systems and heating, which is vital in the freezing Ukrainian winter.

“Here at the shelter, it’s comfortable for us,” says Nadiia. “It’s a new place where we can start our life over yet again. I am grateful for the support to displaced people like us, who really lost everything.”

With no end to the war in sight, Ukrainians urgently need more support. Your generous donation before 30 June can provide more families with shelter, survival essentials and emergency cash.

Donate to our Ukraine Appeal now.