Many millions of people have fled their homes to find safety within Ukraine or in other countries. Taking only the bare essentials that they can carry as they seek protection in areas away from the fighting, the refugees are mainly women, children and older people.

The Federal Government is providing support through the EU and the United Nations to various humanitarian aid organisations who are trying to help the refugees. The Federal Foreign Office and Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development are also providing around 85 million euros for bilateral humanitarian aid (as of 16 March 2022).

Aid from the Federal Foreign Office

So far the Federal Foreign Office has made available over 40 million euros for humanitarian aid. Of this, 5.5 million euros will go to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which has constructed several humanitarian centres, focusing on providing food, distributing cash and emergency telecommunications. 

Ten million euros from the Federal Foreign Office budget are to go to the International Committee of the Red Cross which is providing aid in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries. In addition to this, the German Red Cross, along with its partner organisations in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, is to receive one million euros, 

The Federal Foreign Office is providing ten million euros of project funding for humanitarian action through the IOM’s Flash Appeal for Ukraine and Neighbouring Countries. This aid is mainly targeted at supporting refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities in neighbouring countries. The IOM--International Organisation for Migration is providing assistance with emergency accommodation, medical care and water supplies, amongst other things,

Emergency aid measures provided by the World Food Programme and Malteser International are to be supported with five million euros each. Project funding for the Help organisation and its local partner Vostok SOS is to receive 1.125 million euros. The ADRA Deutschland emergency aid programme is to receive 2.64 million euros. 

In addition to humanitarian aid, the Federal Foreign Office is making available five million euros for disaster aid and 18.9 million euros to support the resilience of the Ukrainian state and society.  

Development Ministry assistance

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) forms the second pillar of the humanitarian aid effort. In the face of the conflict the BMZ has responded immediately by redeploying 45 million euros thus far from ongoing programmes in order to provide rapid and flexible support for people on the ground. To deliver this assistance the Ministry is relying on its proven partners in Ukraine, including those at a local level, along with its international partners in the United Nations.

This includes the provision of urgently needed equipment for disaster management and the fire brigade worth 4.5 million euros. Support worth 19.4 million euros is to be provided to help Ukrainian municipalities overcome the crisis, including 12 million euros from the EU.

The BMZ is working through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to provide 9.5 million euros of emergency aid so that small and medium-sized businesses can maintain basic services in the country. In addition, there are 19 million euros for accommodation for internal refugees.

The Ministry is also providing 0.5 million euros through the Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund to aid measures for refugees, particularly women and girls. A further 1.6 million euros are available to support access to education. Amongst other things, this funding will facilitate online courses and vocational education for internally displaced persons.

In partnership with UNICEF and the GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation), assistance was already being provided before war broke out to ensure psychological support for people in Ukraine who had to leave their homes. This aid has been replenished with a further 2.5 million euros in order to facilitate psychosocial care for children and young people who have been especially traumatised by war and displacement.