Needs-Based Cash Assistance: Supporting People Affected by War in 2026
From April 2026, multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) is no longer being implemented in Ukraine and has been replaced by a needs-based cash assistance approach.
The programme is implemented in cooperation with local authorities and in coordination with the Cash Working Group.
Assistance is provided in the regions most affected by the war: Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Odesa.
The approach to assistance is based on priorities agreed by the humanitarian community. This means that support is provided according to the specific situation of an individual or household.
Types of Cash Assistance:
1. Assistance in frontline areas for the most socio-economically vulnerable groups, who live in daily insecurity and face increased costs for basic needs due to the impact of hostilities.
Objective: to cover basic needs (food, medicines, utilities, transport, clothing, etc.); to help ease financial pressure; and to reduce the need to cut back on essential items or incur debt.
Amount: UAH 10,800 per person
Duration: Provided as a one-off payment, covering a six-month period, subject to meeting the programme’s eligibility criteria.
2. Assistance for evacuated persons, specifically those who were forced to leave due to shelling or insecurity and who registered at a transit centre within 45 days of evacuation.
Objective: to cover essential expenses in the first months after evacuation; to support adaptation in a new location.
Amount: UAH 12,300 per person (one-off payment)
Duration: Provided as a one-off payment, covering a three-month period, subject to meeting the programme’s eligibility criteria.
3. Assistance for people affected by attacks or shelling, including those whose housing has been destroyed or damaged as a result and is no longer fit for dignified living conditions, as well as families with members who have been injured or killed.
Objective: to rapidly cover the most urgent needs following an attack.
Amount: UAH 12,300 per person
Duration: Provided as a one-off payment, covering a three-month period, subject to meeting the programme’s eligibility criteria.
4. Assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are unable to return home for an extended period and, due to certain administrative or bureaucratic barriers, are unable to access state assistance; including those who have been living away from home for more than six months, are located far from active hostilities, and are eligible for state support but do not receive it due to limited access to institutions, lack of documentation, or other constraints.
Objective: to support daily living needs (food, housing, and basic expenses).
Amount:
Up to 9 months of support: UAH 2,000 per adult; UAH 3,000 per child; UAH 3,000 per person with a disability
Duration: Provided for 3–9 months, depending on the individual circumstances of the household and subject to meeting the programme’s eligibility criteria.
*Registration of people affected by attacks or shelling and evacuated persons is conducted upon request from local authorities and the Cash Working Group. Lists of people affected by attacks or shelling are compiled and validated by local authorities.
Cash assistance enables people to meet their most essential needs independently and supports them in difficult life circumstances caused by the war.