Three Years in Ukraine: Humanitarian Needs are still Immense

DCA-NCA Ukraine

As Ukraine enters the fourth year of full-scale war, the humanitarian crisis remains severe. According to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 12.7 million people—36% of the population—will require humanitarian assistance in 2025. Winter conditions are particularly harsh, as Ukraine’s energy, water, and heating infrastructure remains under constant attack from missiles and drones.

DCA-NCA has been present in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, providing crucial support through humanitarian mine action, mental health and psychosocial support, legal aid, reconstruction of vital infrastructure, community-led initiatives, and livelihood restoration.

“Every day, we witness the extraordinary strength of Ukrainians who continue to rebuild their lives despite unimaginable hardship. Our role is to stand beside them, providing the support they need to rebuild their lives and to restore their safety,” says Barry Jolly, Country Director, DCA-NCA Ukraine.

390,000 people supported in 2024

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH):

WASH interventions and winterization support is focused on infrastructure repairs such as water, heating and gas pipes. DCA-NCA has provided water systems, water tanks, boiler houses, pumps, pipes, and much more to Mykolaiv central heating plants, service providers, and to communities in Mykolaiv.
This work has impacted the lives of 278,398 people.

Cash Assistance for Community-led initiatives

We support vulnerable, conflict-affected populations with cash transfers, which assists people living near the front line and helps develop Ukrainian civil society and local humanitarian organisations.
This work has impacted the lives of 88,828 people.

Humanitarian Mine Action

Assessing and surveying potentially contaminated areas, clearing land from explosive ordnance, and providing Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), which enable safe returns for displaced populations near front lines.
This work has impacted the lives of 11,249 people.

Protection

We develop innovative schemes around social cohesion and protection in local Ukrainian communities, addressing some of the multitude of negative effects the war has had on Ukraine’s social and community structures.
This work has impacted the lives of 10,620 people.

Restoring livelihoods

This support focuses on addressing immediate need among families to rebuild their lives by providing them with cash support. The support is targeted households that need to regain their ability to earn an income – for instance, by providing tools to rebuild their agriculture.
This work has impacted the lives of 193 people.

Localisation and Capacity Building

DCA-NCA actively engages with local partners to strengthen their role as civil society actors and to implement larger humanitarian responses independently.
DCA-NCA has supported 146 Ukrainian civil society and humanitarian organisations in 2024.

Psychological impact after three years war

Three years of war have left deep psychological wounds across Ukraine. Air raid sirens, explosions, power cuts, and the loss of loved ones have become a tragic part of daily life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 9.6 million people in Ukraine are at risk of or already living with a mental health condition.

The life of all Ukrainians has changed since 2022. This is Tetiana’s story:

Recognizing this urgent need, DCA-NCA has expanded its mental health support. In 2024, DCA-NCA opened a Women’s and Girls’ Safe Space in Mykolaiv.

“This space is about support, unification, and new opportunities. It’s about ensuring people feel they are not alone, that someone cares, and that together we can create something meaningful,” says Tetyana Chorna, Protection Manager at DCA-NCA.

The safe space offers daily group and individual activities, including art therapy, providing a crucial refuge for those dealing with trauma.

Hanna lost two children during the war: “We need to talk about our trauma”

Providing psychosocial support is vital for Ukrainians, who have endured war and tragic loss.

300,000 square meters cleared from explosives

DCA-NCA began clearance of agricultural land and other vital areas for the civilian population in 2024 as an addition to surveying potentially hazardous areas for explosive ordnance and providing Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), which enable safe returns for displaced populations near front lines.

With this effort DCA-NCA has surveyed 3,114,506 square meters of land in Mykolaiv and Kherson Oblasts since 2023 and cleared 306,625 square meters of land in Mykolaiv since 2024.

Moving forward, DCA-NCA will have the addition of mechanical clearance, which will increase the speed and efficiency of the mine action teams, when conducting clearance.

Clearance is crucial for restoring access to key infrastructure and agricultural land and is a precondition for safe recovery and sustainable return and reintegration of displaced populations.

Clearing the Path to Food Security in Mykolaiv

See how DCA-NCA’s Mine Action teams are clearing important agricultural land in Ukraine from explosive ordnance.

Partnerships and continuous support for Ukrainian organisations

A key part of DCA-NCA’s work since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022 has been supporting local and community-led initiatives and organisations in Ukraine. In 2024 alone, DCA-NCA supported 146 initiatives and organisations with cash grants.

Providing cash grants is not only flexible, but enables a rapid response to emergencies, which is essential in an environment that is highly volatile with suddenly arising needs, such as during the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.

Empowering local organizations is key to effective humanitarian aid. They understand the needs of their communities better than anyone, and our support helps them respond quickly and effectively to emerging challenges.
Barry Jolly, Country Director, DCA-NCA Ukraine

The initiatives that are selected based on the needs of the communities. Some have a strong social impact, such as support for kindergartens under ground, while others are focused on providing emergency aid, such as power banks and solid fuel during winter.

When People Have Nowhere to Go, They Turn to Volodymyr: “We accept everyone here”

Vydnovlennya in Mykolaiv is one of 146 community-led organisations supported by DCA-NCA in 2024.