Cash Transfers a Lifeline for Ukraine's Children This Winter

Cash assistance from UNICEF is helping vulnerable families in Ukraine buy food, meet their immediate needs and rebuild their lives amid the ongoing war and displacement.

Tetiana, her husband Yevhen and their three children are among them. Back in January, they returned to their home in Kharkiv after being temporarily displaced by the fighting, but life was a struggle — and the children felt the impact.

As the violence across Ukraine continued, 13-year-old Nastia had no choice but to study online, missing out on direct communication with her peers. Meanwhile, her 3-year-old twin brothers, Bohdan and Matvii, both of whom are on the autism spectrum, desperately needed at least three sessions a week with special education teachers. 

The family's financial situation also worsened, as the prices of basic goods and food climbed out of reach. With kindergartens in Kharkiv closed since February 2022, Tetiana was unable to work, leaving Yevhen as the family's only breadwinner.

The war is all about fear. We don't know what tomorrow holds ... Children need to live in warmth and the heating costs a lot. — Tetiana, mother of three in Kharkiv

"The war is all about fear. We don't know what tomorrow holds," says Tetiana. "Children need to live in warmth and the heating costs a lot."

When the family received UNICEF humanitarian cash assistance in February 2024, a weight was lifted. 

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"We used part of the money we received for the children's development, paying for classes with teachers and sensory integration," says Tetiana. 

"And thanks to UNICEF's financial support, we have already started preparing for winter. We bought boots and warm blankets for the children. Now I dream of buying new beds for Bohdan and Matvii."

Cash assistance programs give families dignity and the power to prioritize their most immediate needs

Since the abrupt escalation of war in Ukraine in 2022, the financial situation of many families has deteriorated due to forced displacement and rising prices for food and basic goods. Families in frontline communities have been forced to cut back on food consumption and spend their savings on medical care and medicines.

From March 2022 to May 2024, UNICEF’s humanitarian cash transfer program in Ukraine reached more than 285,000 households, supporting over 1,278,600 individuals and 770,200 children, including at least 70,000 children with disabilities. The program is supported by the Norwegian Government and other international donors.

Preparing for the bitter cold months ahead

Last winter, damage to energy infrastructure left around 7 million children in Ukraine without electricity, heating and water. These children spent a cumulative average of five weeks without power during the coldest months of the year.

UNICEF Ukraine's 2024-2025 Winter Response Plan outlines UNICEF's work with local authorities and implementing partners to reach vulnerable families facing what will be the hardest winter since the start of the war, marked by bitter cold temperatures, the cumulative destruction of housing and heating and energy infrastructure, and displacement — 3.3 million people, including 564,000 children, are still displaced inside Ukraine.

To help families prepare for the coming winter months, during September 2024 UNICEF provided cash payments to more than 47,100 people, including over 20,390 children, living within 19 miles of the front line in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Sumy. As of Oct. 16, 2024, more than 3,000 households had also received winter supplies, including solid fuel, blankets and winter clothing. 

UNICEF cash grants will help schools stay open during the depths of winter

Starting this month, 700 schools across Ukraine will also receive cash grants from UNICEF for winterization efforts including:

• heating, insulation and replacement of windows and doors
• purchasing, installing, and repair of electricity- and heat-generating equipment
• repairing infrastructure (water supply, heating, electrical, ventilation and sewage systems)
• transporting and storing purchased equipment, components, materials and fuel

Schools selected for the program are either located in frontline or border areas, have shelters and provide education for at least 50 internally displaced children, or are the only in-person or hybrid learning institutions in their communities.

Children's lives are consumed by thoughts of survival, not childhood. — Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine

“The lack of power and all its knock-on effects this winter could have a devastating impact not only on children’s physical health but on their mental wellbeing and education,” says Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine. “Children’s lives are consumed by thoughts of survival, not childhood.”

With winter just around the corner, UNICEF is appealing for $32 million to help keep critical services running for children by reducing disruptions to water, sanitation, health and education services, and distributing cash and in-kind support to families. 

Wherever and whenever children are in need, UNICEF is there to help. Your contribution will make a difference. Please donate today.

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Learn more about UNICEF's ongoing humanitarian work in Ukraine.

This story was adapted from unicef.org