CORE Ukrainian Refugee Crisis

OVERVIEW

War in Ukraine has resulted in at least 4,302 civilian deaths and an additional 5,217 civilian injuries, as of June 8, 2022 (midnight, local time), according to the UNHCR. Actual figures are believed to be considerably higher, particularly as reports of information from areas of heavy ongoing conflict – including the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk regions – still pend confirmation. Over 15.7 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, according to estimates from the UN and humanitarian partners.

Damage and destruction to residential areas and civilian infrastructure serves as a major obstacle to people accessing essential resources, such as water and food, as well as healthcare and other critical services. Many civilians in Ukraine are sheltering without basic aid and unable to be reached or evacuated safely. Additionally, unexploded ordnance poses major peril to civilians, as nearly half of Ukraine requires demining due to the ongoing military conflict, according to SESU.

As of June 9, 2022, nearly 7.3 million border crossings from Ukraine have been recorded since war activities commenced on February 24, 2022, according to UNHCR, resulting in the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. A total of 4.8 million refugees have been recorded across Europe, 3.2 million of whom have registered for protective status in Europe. Of the Ukrainian diaspora, 2.3 million people have returned to Ukraine, though this does not indicate a long-term return to the country as volatile conditions persist.

More than 8 million Ukrainians (18% of total population) are currently internally displaced according to recent estimates from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). According to REACH, constant displacement of families and movement of internally displaced people (IDPs) has created significant challenge in acquiring accurate data on IDPs and their needs, limiting the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance.

CORE'S RESPONSE:

CORE is working with international and local partners to address the urgent humanitarian needs of those affected by the war in Ukraine, with operations in Poland, Romania, and Ukraine. Its current activities include:

• Working in border towns to provide Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Poland and Romania with cash assistance to help them get access to essential items, such as food, water, and safe transit to shelter.
• Providing emergency relief supplies, including hygiene kits, as well as medication and other essential resources to meet basic needs.
• Supporting community-based refugee centers with supplies and institutional support to help them continue aiding refugees and improve living situations.
• Supporting mental health and protection services for refugees, targeting women and children.
• Assessing evolving needs of Ukrainian refugees, identifying CORE’s further engagement with relevant partners.
• Partnering with collective shelters in Ukraine to provide IDPs with critical resources, including food, water, essential resources, and cash assistance.

IMPACT:

• CORE has committed $240,000 in flexible cash assistance in Poland. Beneficiaries are provided this assistance primarily through direct distribution at informal shelters.
• $91,000 has been distributed already, to date.
• 621 beneficiaries served; 95% of households are women-led
• Commitment includes pledged refills of cash cards, in partnership with Mastercard and EML
• At the end of April, CORE supported local initiative Soup for Ukraine’s social integration event in Krakow with 1,000 people, offering joint dialogue workshops for Polish and Ukrainian children, food workshops and food distribution for Ukrainian refugees, and more activities.
• CORE staff supported a total of 2,102 refugees at train stations in Poland throughout April.

Links:

• Visit our response page.