Millions of Ukrainians face hardship after harsh winter: UN refugee agency

By Aysu Bicer and Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

LONDON (AA) - Millions of Ukrainians are grappling with deepening displacement and uncertainty after enduring one of the harshest winters in a decade, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday.

"Inside Ukraine, repeated attacks on housing, energy systems and essential services throughout the winter left millions without heating or electricity for prolonged periods," Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR’s regional director for Europe, said at a media briefing in Geneva. "While temperatures are slowly rising, the damage remains.”

UNHCR estimates that 10.8 million people inside Ukraine will need humanitarian assistance in 2026, with 3.7 million internally displaced.

An additional 5.9 million Ukrainians remain refugees abroad, mainly in Europe, it said.

Host countries have provided protection and access to education, health care and work opportunities, helping refugees regain stability.

But Leclerc stressed that more is needed: "Alongside Temporary Protection, States should explore options for alternative arrangements for longer stay … for whom return may not be immediately possible even after the war."

UNHCR and its partners plan to assist 2 million people in 2026 and support 1.7 million refugees in Europe.

"As winter fades, the humanitarian crisis does not," Leclerc said. "We must support the people of Ukraine with humanitarian relief and recovery inside the country, and with safety and self-reliance abroad."