Over 12 million people need humanitarian assistance
2.01.2026
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4 minutes
The situation in Ukraine is deteriorating with the arrival of another, already the fourth, winter during the full-scale war. After nearly three years of constant armed attacks, millions of civilians are entering the most difficult period of the year with limited access to energy, heating, healthcare, and basic services. The coming months may prove to be among the harshest since the beginning of the invasion.
According to the latest data from the UN and UNICEF, more than 12 million people in Ukraine currently require urgent humanitarian assistance, including food, medical care, psychological support, and protection from the cold. Around 3.5 million people remain internally displaced, often living in makeshift conditions without stable access to heating and healthcare. Older people, children, and those with chronic illnesses are particularly affected. The approaching frosts intensify the consequences of damage to civilian infrastructure. Damaged energy and heating networks mean that power and heat outages are a daily reality in many regions of the country. In conditions where winter temperatures can drop as low as –20°C, the lack of heating becomes a direct threat to life.
– Winter in Ukraine today is not only a season, it is also a time when threats to the civilian population reach a different level. When people have no heat, no electricity, and no access to a doctor, every subsequent night becomes a struggle – emphasizes Ewa Piekarska-Dymus, president of the Polish Medical Mission. – The most vulnerable are seniors, people with disabilities, and patients requiring constant medical care.
The crisis particularly affects regions located close to the front line, where regular air strikes lead to the destruction of homes, medical points, and infrastructure. Limited access to healthcare facilities means that for thousands of residents one of the most effective forms of assistance remains mobile medical clinics reaching these localities. For many months, the Polish Medical Mission has been carrying out such activities in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. Teams of doctors, nurses, and psychologists provide basic healthcare, diagnostics, access to medicines, and psychological support to people who often have had no contact with the healthcare system for months. There is also the possibility of using a mobile laboratory.
– The scale of psychological needs is enormous. Most patients report symptoms of severe stress, anxiety, or insomnia – says Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart, director of humanitarian aid at the Polish Medical Mission. – The war has been going on for years, and emotional exhaustion is growing. In winter, when isolation and difficult living conditions deepen, psychological support can be just as important as somatic treatment.
The vast majority of Ukraine’s population has experienced severe stress since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, leading to mental health problems. Long-term exposure to air raid alarms, bombardments, and uncertainty about the future results in increasing levels of depression, anxiety disorders, and psychosomatic problems – both among civilians and medical personnel, who are also exposed to enormous stress. The Polish Medical Mission’s mobile clinics provide around one thousand medical consultations per month, with a significant proportion of beneficiaries being older people living in frontline areas. At the same time, the organization supports Ukrainian hospitals, including neonatal units, by delivering medical equipment and conducting staff training, among others as part of projects co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. With the arrival of winter, humanitarian needs in Ukraine will continue to grow week by week.
