UN presents Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Ukraine for 2024

The United Nations has presented the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Ukraine for 2024.

That's according to the press service of the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

"Today, on January 15, in Geneva, the United Nations and partners asked donors to allocate $4.2 billion throughout 2024 to support war-affected communities in Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian asylum seekers and their host communities," the statement said.

The presented plan requests $3.1 billion for 2024 and targets 8.5 million people. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates the response inside Ukraine.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, coordinates the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP), which requests $1.1 billion and targets 2.3 million refugees and host communities.

According to the ministry, in total, the two highly prioritized UN plans aim to support some 10.8 million people in Ukraine and the region.

"Hundreds of thousands of children live in communities on the front lines of the war, terrified, traumatized and deprived of their basic needs. That fact alone should compel us to do everything we can to bring more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine," said the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, who is also the head of OCHA.

"Although their plight is no longer in the headlines, millions of refugees from Ukraine still need urgent support," said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. "Host countries continue to extend protection and include them in society, but many vulnerable refugees still need help. They shouldn't feel pressed to return because they cannot make ends meet in exile. All refugees must be helped and given opportunities to use and build their talents to prepare them for eventual voluntary return when the situation allows."

"Our humanitarian front, which we all sustain together, is extremely important. Amid a long-term war, it is a priority. We must continue to support our internally displaced persons and our people who have gone abroad fleeing the war. And we have high hopes for the humanitarian plan for 2024," said Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.