Almost 2,370 families of missing persons have received financial aid from the Ukrainian Red Cross

Between early 2024 and May 2025, the Ukrainian Red Cross implemented a financial support programme for vulnerable family members searching for their missing relatives.

Families who applied to the Ukrainian Red Cross Tracing Service in the first half of 2024 received a one-time payment of UAH 21,000.

These funds helped cover increased costs during the heating season, as well as other expenses related to the search for their missing loved ones.

The programme was made possible thanks to the support of the British Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Payments were facilitated by financial partners NovaPay and Unex Bank.

In addition to the “right to know” guaranteed to families under international humanitarian law, the families of missing persons face numerous related challenges — economic, psychological, social, legal, and administrative.

Today, the Ukrainian Red Cross is able to provide comprehensive support to families of missing persons and prisoners of war, tailored to their needs. This includes providing information, recognition, economic assistance for vulnerable groups, psychosocial support, and humanitarian aid throughout the search for a family member, offering a guarantee of holistic assistance.

Due to the full-scale war, thousands of Ukrainians have been reported missing. Uncertainty and prolonged waiting have become daily challenges for their loved ones, who simultaneously face emotional and financial hardship.

The Ukrainian Red Cross continues to support the families of missing persons by providing assistance to help ease their burden during this difficult time.