Usaid Announces Additional $25 Million For Winterization Assistance For Ukraine

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional $25 million to support vulnerable people in Ukraine during the harsh winter. Ongoing attacks by Russian forces on critical infrastructure and housing in Ukraine have undermined the civilian population’s ability to survive cold winter temperatures, which are expected to increase humanitarian needs, particularly among those living in damaged housing or who have fled due to conflict.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the announcement today during a visit to a collective center in Irpin, where conflict-affected internally displaced persons, including older persons and other vulnerable groups, are sheltering.

With these new funds, the United States will expand upon its existing winterization planning and response efforts, scaling up assistance to nearly 75,000 of the most affected households, primarily in eastern Ukraine where Putin’s unprovoked invasion has decimated infrastructure and essential services. USAID partner the International Organization for Migration will surge additional humanitarian assistance to help vulnerable Ukrainians survive the winter, including multi-purpose cash assistance, shelter support, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, with more assistance on the way in coming months.

This additional support follows USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s announcement of a $55 million investment in Ukraine’s heating infrastructure in Kyiv during her visit in early October, as well as $216 million in winterization-specific humanitarian assistance, bringing USAID’s total contribution to winterization assistance to date to approximately $271 million. USAID and our humanitarian partners continue to rapidly scale up winterization assistance to at-risk populations in Ukraine, including the provision of winter-specific household items, thermal blankets, and warm clothing, as well as key heating appliances and fuel supplies to address the immediate and long-term needs of vulnerable households.

As one of the largest humanitarian donors to Ukraine, the United States has supported humanitarian partners in the country since 2014. During Fiscal Year 2022, the United States provided more than $1.5 billion in humanitarian assistance to support conflict-affected people inside Ukraine and those fleeing to neighboring countries, including more than $1 billion from USAID. We continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and will continue to provide life-saving assistance to those who need it most.