Ukraine

Country programme

What we do

As of March 2023, the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has resulted in over 5,4 million persons being displaced across Europe internally within Ukraine (IDPs) and 7,4 mil. Ukrainian refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries. This most recent war in Europe has led to a grave humanitarian crisis, with millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. At the same time, the massive displacement has shown systemic vulnerabilities within the social protection systems both of Ukraine and the countries hosting Ukrainian refugees, in spite of massive initial support and solidarity shown to people fleeing the war. The situation is impacting particularly people already vulnerable before the outbreak of war, people living in multidimensional poverty or people suffering from multiple discrimination such as Roma refugees.

Caritas Switzerland’s (CACH) response to the Ukraine crisis started in February 2022. Since then, CACH has gradually expanded its activities towards a variety of projects within Ukraine and the neighbouring countries Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova. In the upcoming strategic phase, the interventions will be concentrated primarily on Ukraine.

To further concentrate its efforts, CACH’s Ukraine Country Programme (UCP) will focus thematically on two outcome areas as defined in CACH’s global strategy: Migration and Income. Within these areas, the UCP will operate in humanitarian contexts and combine interventions in the area of emergency relief, shelter and housing, and income generation. Through these intervention pillars, CACH will be able to cover basic needs, ensure access to adequate housing, create jobs and foster self-reliance of the most vulnerable affected by the conflict. Combined, the interventions will ensure that vulnerable persons affected by the Ukrainian conflict can access the means to survive, build resilience and continue a self-determined life.

Objectives

Income

Caritas enables youth, minorities, smallholders and other vulnerable people to increase their income thanks to improved skills and a more inclusive agricultural market system.

  • Smallholders, and other value chain actors, have gained access to information, tools and services needed to improve the production and processing of sustainable products and nutritious food as well as market-related services and business contacts to enter higher added-value markets.
  • Youth, minorities, and other vulnerable people, have gained access to high quality non-formal and formal vocational skills development. 

Migration

By covering basic needs and access to education and job opportunities refugees and migrants are better protected and contribute increasingly to their self-sufficiency and development in the countries of origin, transit and destination.

  • Protection of migrants and refugees is enhanced and their basic needs are covered through access to cash, goods and services.

Emergency Aid

Communities in humanitarian crisis situations can cover their basic needs.

  • People in humanitarian crisis situation are supported in their basic needs and get access to services in a safe, accessible and participatory manner.
  • Communities in humanitarian crisis situations are supported in the rehabilitation of basic infrastructure.

Snapshot

  • Our main partners: Caritas Ukraine, Caritas-Spes
  • Our main donors: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Swiss Solidarity, Cordaid, Caritas Luxembourg, Caritas Austria, Regierung des Fürstentums Liechtenstein

Selected projects

View all

Further information

Contacts

Guido Frank Dost

Programme Director

Head OfficeLucerne, Switzerland

gdost@caritas.ch

Header image: © Andrey Potochevsky