The Ukrainian Red Cross disbursed over UAH 590 million in cash assistance in 2025

In 2025, the Ukrainian Red Cross continued the systematic implementation of cash assistance programmes to support people most affected by the consequences of the full-scale war and those belonging to socially vulnerable groups. Over the year, nearly 29,000 people received cash assistance, totalling UAH 590 million.

The support was targeted at residents of frontline and de-occupied communities, older people, persons with disabilities, veterans, families of missing persons, as well as civilians released from Russian captivity. For many of them, cash assistance became critically important following the loss of housing, livelihoods or access to basic services.

Cash assistance enables people to independently prioritise their most urgent needs — from covering basic living costs to winterisation, repairing damaged housing or accessing rehabilitation services.

“The war creates new challenges every day for people who are already in vulnerable situations. Cash assistance allows for a rapid response to urgent needs and gives people the freedom of choice — what matters most to them right now: basic expenses, winter preparation, housing repair or rehabilitation,” says Olena Skrypnikova, Head of the Innovative Financing and Cash Transfer Programming Unit at the Ukrainian Red Cross.

In 2025, the Ukrainian Red Cross cash programmes addressed a wide range of needs, including:

• support for civilians released from captivity and families of missing persons;
• assistance to people whose homes were damaged or destroyed as a result of hostilities;
• multi-purpose cash assistance for residents of frontline areas in emergency situations;
• winterisation support for households, including the purchase of solid fuel and heating costs;
• support for older people and persons with disabilities, including under the Home-Based Care programme;
• assistance for physical rehabilitation for veterans and patients of mobile rehabilitation units.

The implementation of these programmes was made possible thanks to the support of international partners — the British Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross, Austrian Red Cross, Danish Red Cross, Norwegian Red Cross, Swiss Red Cross, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Some initiatives were implemented in cooperation with government authorities and local communities.

Thanks to cash assistance, people are able to cope more quickly with everyday challenges, meet their basic needs and make decisions independently. For the Ukrainian Red Cross, this is a vital part of its humanitarian work to support people and communities living and recovering in the context of war.