Our work in Ukraine

The Swiss Red Cross has been working in Ukraine since 2017. When the situation escalated over four years ago, it stepped up its involvement in the Ukrainian Red Cross emergency aid work, helping people displaced to the west of the country and those made vulnerable by the drawn-out conflict. Special emphasis has been on strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ukrainian Red Cross.

After eight years of fighting on its eastern border, Ukraine had to cope with an escalation of hostilities with consequences for the whole population. Since then, millions of people have been displaced, fleeing the fighting and destruction, as drone attacks and bombings targeted essential facilities, such as hospitals and energy infrastructure. The electricity supply and heating have been badly damaged throughout the country, especially in early 2026 during a particularly harsh winter when outside temperatures dropped to –20°C.

The men were subject to mass mobilization and almost all families have lost relatives or friends. Some families are without any news of their loved ones.

The SRC is helping the Ukrainian Red Cross to provide emergency assistance for civilians affected by the conflict in the Kherson and Sumy regions, which are close to the front line.

In the first few years, the SRC provided emergency aid to people displaced to the west of the country, in the form of cash assistance and vouchers. It also helped renovate some healthcare institutions, by repairing roofs and air-raid shelters, electrical installations and plumbing.

In the Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Kirovohrad regions, aid focuses on helping displaced persons to find jobs and improve their livelihoods.

Winter aid in 2026

Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was targeted from the very outset. In early 2026, hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country found themselves without electricity, heating and water, in winter temperatures that dropped to –20°C.

The SRC stepped up its aid and support for the Ukrainian Red Cross, which organized heated shelters and mobile energy sources, distributed hot meals and relief for the most vulnerable people. The URC set up tents where people could come to warm up, recharge their telephones so they could keep in touch with relatives, and find some support from Red Cross volunteers. Nearby, the URC set up mobile kitchens where they could come for a hot meal.

The most vulnerable to cold and darkness are the elderly with reduced mobility and families with small children. Prolonged disruptions have a direct impact on their health and safety. Some people are unable to even get to the heated spaces. The Red Cross brought them blankets, heaters and power banks.

Home help for elderly and handicapped people

The URC home care service regularly looks after about 8000 people with specific needs, particularly elderly or handicapped people living alone. The home helpers provide much needed assistance with everyday activities: they cook, do housework, fetch groceries, set up medical appointments and check their blood pressure. But they also read to them, chat over a cup of tea and provide important social interactions.

During the coldest months of the year, the URC teams brought additional aid to people with reduced mobility who were unable to get to the shelters, distributing hygiene kits, blankets, heaters and power banks.

The Swiss Red Cross has been supporting the URC in this work since 2017. It is currently assisting with the conceptual and strategic approach and helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of this service.

Long-term approach

The SRC and the URC are working in close cooperation to ensure that the Ukrainian Red Cross has the resources to fund its services in the long term. Since the conflict escalated, the SRC has been helping with its sister society’s fundraising efforts, developing a strategy and running a campaign to pay for the enormous requirements in all parts of the country. The donations are collected online and relations have been strengthened with private donors in the country and the Ukrainian diaspora.