Kyiv – More than 2,500 civilians were killed and over 12,000 injured in Ukraine during 2025, marking the deadliest year for non-combatants as Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, according to a recent update from the UN human rights monitoring team.
Urgent Aid Needed as Conflict Intensifies
The United Nations is appealing for increased financial support to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, were relentless attacks are causing immense suffering.
- Russian forces launched nearly 1,100 attack drones, over 890 guided aerial bombs, and at least 50 missiles against Ukraine in the past week.
- The UN is prioritizing aid for internally displaced people, the elderly, and those with limited mobility.
- funding is crucial to support frontline workers, farmers, and cancer patients whose access to healthcare has been disrupted.
- Temperatures as low as minus 15°C in Kyiv are exacerbating the crisis,creating an “emergency within an emergency.”
The UN and its partners have been providing support to Ukrainians in need since the start of the conflict, assisting those in cities repeatedly struck by drones and missiles, communities near the front lines, and those who have been evacuated to safety. Matthias Schmale, the UN’s top aid official in Ukraine, outlined the priorities of Tuesday’s funding appeal, emphasizing the plight of those displaced for years and vulnerable populations.
“I am speaking of internally displaced people who’ve been in collective sites for two, three years; I’m speaking of older people and people with limited mobility,” Schmale said.
Front-Line Challenges Demand Immediate Response
Recent reports indicate a notable escalation in attacks. Over the past week alone, russian forces reportedly launched nearly 1,100 attack drones, more than 890 guided aerial bombs, and at least 50 missiles of various types, including ballistic and cruise missiles. An Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile even targeted Lviv in western Ukraine, near the Polish border.
Beyond core aid like food, healthcare, shelter, protection, and cash assistance, the appeal seeks funding to support the evacuation of people in immediate danger – “heroic work near the front line,” Schmale noted, praising the hundreds of UN-supported partners involved in these life-saving operations.
Funding is also needed to assist civil society partners responding to military strikes across the country, especially within 50 kilometers of the front line. This includes supporting farmers struggling to survive in the war zone and cancer patients whose access to vital medicines has been disrupted by attacks on healthcare facilities.
“We want to continue supporting as best as we can [but] all of this needs funding,” Schmale stated, highlighting the “enormous civilian suffering” across Ukraine. He pointed to the plummeting temperatures in Kyiv – reaching minus 15°C – as an “emergency within an emergency” that will likely require additional international funding.
“we appeal in particular to the international community, to UN Member States, to other donors, to maintain thier solidarity with Ukraine and to express that in the form of financial support for the work we plan to continue,” Schmale urged, speaking at the launch of the appeal in Kyiv.
