The Issue
Years of war in Ukraine have had a devastating impact on civilians, especially women, girls, elderly, persons with disabilities, and war-affected families. Gender-based violence, including domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse, has surged, while mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety are widespread. Vulnerable groups including veterans, single-headed households, and families caring for chronically ill or disabled members face growing psychological distress and limited access to support. Despite the efforts of dedicated first responders, the demand for mental health and protection services far exceeds available resources.
At the same time, millions lack reliable access to clean water, sanitation, heating, and hygiene services, especially in frontline areas where infrastructure has been damaged and service providers struggle with limited materials, electricity, and trained staff. These conditions pose serious health risks and strain already fragile household economies, particularly for elderly people and others with limited mobility. As conflict persists, there is an urgent need to ensure people can access essential services and support systems that protect their physical and mental wellbeing—while also strengthening the capacity of local actors to respond sustainably.
The Project
The project addresses violence and displacement-related vulnerabilities by delivering tailored protection and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) interventions to affected communities, particularly women and girls. It provides life-saving gender-based violence (GBV) services through mobile case management, safe spaces, and psychosocial support programs like Women Rise and Girl Shine. Legal consultations and dignity kits help restore dignity and support recovery.
To prevent violence and shift harmful social norms, the project includes community awareness sessions, training for frontline staff, and support groups for veterans and caregivers. Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) activities, including the “Help the Helpers” program, aim to foster long-term resilience and well-being.
Simultaneously, WASH interventions improve access to safe water, sanitation, hygiene facilities, and heating. Implemented through experienced and local partners, activities include hygiene kit distribution, sanitation and sewage system repairs, solar-powered water system upgrades, and heating system support. These integrated efforts address both immediate needs and structural vulnerabilities, promoting safety, dignity, and recovery for conflict-affected populations.
The Change
Integrated protection and WASH actions will move war-affected communities from emergency coping to safer, healthier daily life. On the protection side, mobile case-workers will reach remote villages with individual safety plans, while three new Women & Girl Safe Spaces and crisis rooms inside state social-service centres give survivors round-the-clock refuge, counselling, and pathways to justice. Specialised groups – Women Rise for displaced women, Girl Shine for adolescents, and veteran hubs for ex-combatants and their families – build peer support and resilience. First responders will master advanced GBV case-management and self-care techniques, creating a trained local network capable of assisting over 8,500 people, including roughly 1,200 persons with disabilities.
Parallel WASH interventions tackle the root causes of disease and winter hardship. Local NGOs, mentored by DCA-NCA staff, will restore or install water supply, sewage, and solid-waste systems in four oblasts, equip pumps with solar back-up to outlast power cuts, and rehabilitate district-heating plants chosen with authorities and the WASH Cluster. Targeted outputs include reliable drinking water for 34,000 residents, safe sanitation for 5,000, stable heating for 160,000, and hygiene kits or vouchers covering menstrual and incontinence needs for 1,000 people. Together, these measures strengthen community services and reduce protection, health, and economic risks for those living on the frontline of the conflict.
Our Partners
Angels of Salvation
AoS delivers frontline hygiene aid and psychosocial services, with growing WASH capacity in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia. They are vital in trauma response and developing sustainable, locally led interventions.
Insight
Insight is a national leader supporting LGBTQI+ communities with advocacy and psychosocial care. Based in Kyiv, they bring extensive field experience and trusted networks across Ukraine.
Ukrainian Education Platform (UEP)
Ukrainian Education Platform has for 10 years worked towards strengthening and supporting young people and the education sector in Ukraine. They transformed into a humanitarian response agency at the start of the war and built off their existing faith-based networks around the country to provide rapid assistance.
Youth of Ukraine (YoU)
Youth of Ukraine expertly installs mobile and stationary water treatment systems, integrates green energy, and has a strong track record in Mykolaiv and Kherson delivering quality WASH responses.
Our Work
DCA-NCA works in Ukraine to empower individuals and communities to enhance their resilience in the face of the diverse and devastating impacts of war. Our focus is on assisting communities in mitigating risks, adapting to challenges, and connecting long-term development efforts with emergency responses. We foster self-confidence, trust, and community cohesion.
About the project
Full title: Humanitarian response to the Ukraine crisis 2025-2027
Period: 1.01.2025 – 31.12.2027
Funding: NOK 45,000,000
Main donor: NORAD
