Ukraine and UN prepare request to donors for additional funds due to strikes on energy

Ukraine, together with the United Nations, plans to appeal to international donors for additional funding for humanitarian aid. The reason for this step was the deepening humanitarian crisis caused by Russian shelling of civilian infrastructure, primarily the energy sector.

This was announced by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk during the presentation of the UN Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2026. According to her, the current plan requires adjustments to take into account new large-scale challenges that have arisen as a result of attacks on life-support facilities.

Iryna Vereshchuk emphasized that the UN document was formed without fully taking into account the winter energy crisis. Due to systematic shelling of civilian infrastructure, millions of Ukrainians were left without stable electricity, heat and water supply, which significantly complicated the humanitarian situation in the country.

According to her, Ukraine has already agreed on a common position with the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale. The parties agreed to initiate an appeal to international partners with a request for additional funding to respond to the new consequences of the so-called humanitarian war that the Russian Federation is waging against Ukraine.

Vereshchuk emphasized that this is about the need for operational support to overcome the consequences of the destruction of energy infrastructure, which directly affect the living conditions of the civilian population, especially in the winter.

For her part, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator noted that the Organization's mission in Ukraine already has broad donor support. Among the countries and partners that finance humanitarian programs are Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, South Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

It is expected that the additional appeal to donors will allow humanitarian programs to adapt to the new conditions, strengthen assistance to the affected regions, and provide support to millions of Ukrainians who have suffered the consequences of strikes on critical infrastructure.