Weekly Update #167
May 12, 2025

WFP Ukraine Response

WFP assisted an estimated 1.1 million people in April through various activities.

• WFP provided emergency food assistance to over 559,000 food-insecure Ukrainians through in-kind assistance, particularly, 30-day rations, rapid response rations, and bread – and cash to 567,000 people to help cover their monthly food needs.

• In the Sumy region, WFP, in response to the local authorities' request, provided nearly 4,000 beneficiaries in communities located close to the border with emergency food assistance (30-day rations).

• WFP continued to provide one-time cash assistance of UAH 10,800 (approx. USD 260) to more than 2,400 people affected by attacks and evacuees in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Sumy regions, to cover their basic multi-sectoral needs for three months.

• WFP provided USD 5.1 million in cash assistance to supplement government benefits for over 316,000 vulnerable pensioners, people without a right to pension and persons with disabilities, in frontline regions.

Source: WFP

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Increased support for Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war of aggression

Norway is providing NOK 580 million to the efforts of the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR) to assist refugees, internally displaced people and other people in Ukraine and Moldova who are affected by the war.

Of this, NOK 530 million will be used for efforts in Ukraine and NOK 50 million for efforts in Moldova.

‘UNHCR is one of our most important humanitarian partners in Ukraine. At a time when international humanitarian support is declining even as humanitarian needs are rising as a result of Russia’s war, I am pleased that Norway can provide a vital contribution to UNHCR’s work to help internally displaced people and other vulnerable individuals who have been affected by the war,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

Close to 7 million Ukrainians have fled the country. A further 3.8 million are internally displaced. A full 76 % of the refugees are women and children.

‘Russia’s war of aggression continues unabated. In the past few months there have been reports of a growing number of dead and injured among the civilian population, including children. Ukrainians living on the front line are fleeing their homes in search of safety. At the same time, recent attacks on the capital Kyiv are having an impact on people far from the front line as well,’ said Mr Eide.

According to the United Nations’ humanitarian appeal for Ukraine, 36 % of the Ukrainian population needs humanitarian assistance and protection in 2025. The civilian population in all regions is affected, with the regions close to the front in the east, south and parts of the north contending with the most severe impacts. UNHCR works closely with the Ukrainian authorities and local partners and is seeking to operate as close to the front line as possible. UNHCR provides life-saving humanitarian support, legal assistance, cash transfers and temporary shelters as well as support to repair damaged homes.

‘In March, together with Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, I had the opportunity to meet several families in the city of Kharkiv, near the front line, who have received help from UNHCR. It was very moving to hear the stories of these people, trying to live their lives in the midst of a brutal war. At the same time, it is good to see that aid is reaching those in need. These families had received support for, among other things, repairs to their homes, emergency supplies and access to shelters for people affected by the war,’ said Mr Eide.

Norway has contributed more than NOK 900 million to UNHCR initiatives in Ukraine and neighbouring countries since 2022 and is one of the largest donors to the agency’s efforts. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Norway was the third largest humanitarian donor to Ukraine in 2024 after the US and Germany. Overall humanitarian funding under the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine amounts to NOK 3 billion.

Source: Govt. Norway

Russia's ballistic missiles make April deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since last fall, UN reports

Russia killed 209 civilians and injured 1,146 others during April, making it the deadliest month with the highest number of injured since September 2024, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reported on May 8.

At least 19 children were killed and 78 injured in April, the highest verified monthly number of child casualties since June 2022.

"One of the main reasons for the sharp rise in civilian casualties was the intensified use of ballistic missiles in major cities across the country," Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU said, in a statement accompanying the report.

The high number of civilian casualties in April reflects a broader trend of increased harm to civilians in 2025 compared to 2024. Between January and April 2025, 664 civilians were killed and 3,425 injured, a 59% increase compared to the same period in 2024, the report read.

In April, 97% of civilian casualties were recorded in Ukraine-controlled territory. Almost half of all cases were caused by Russian missile attacks or shelling. Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, and Kharkiv suffered the most damage over the past month.

Attacks using short-range drones near the contact line accounted for 23% of civilian casualties during the month. Meanwhile, in early May, the trend of targeting large Ukrainian cities with loitering munitions also continued, according to the report.

"The progressive rise in the number of civilian casualties every month this year is closely tied to the use of long-range missiles and drones on urban areas," Bell said

"This has been compounded by continued drone attacks in frontline areas, driving a steady and alarming rise in civilian casualties, including children," she added.

Source: Kyiv Independent

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Ukraine Health Cluster: Partner Emergency Response to Attacks, as of 30 April 2025

• 4 April - Kryvyi Rih: Shortly after 7 PM, a missile detonated mid-air over a densely populated area in Kryvyi Rih, impacting a public park including a playground. The blast killed 20 civilians, including nine children – the highest number of children killed in a single veried incident since 2022. Nine Health Cluster partners mobilized to provide emergency health assistance. This included on-site trauma care, support for referrals to secondary health facilities, and surge support to health facilities receiving mass casualty patients. 

• 13 April - Odesa: An overnight attack injured eight people in Odesa. Health Cluster partners provided rst aid, psychosocial support, and initiated follow-up with materials for repairs. WHO donated TESK kits, essential drugs, and 50 ampoules of tranexamic acid, covering urgent needs for up to 100 patients. 

• 13 April - Sumy: On Palm Sunday morning, two ballistic missiles struck the historic center of Sumy. The rst impacted the University Congress Center, while the second missile detonated mid-air minutes later, propelling shrapnel across a wide public area. At least 31 civilians were killed in the attack. Health Cluster partners, in close coordination with regional health authorities, activated a rapid health response. Partners donated TESK trauma kits, delivered emergency medical supplies to hospitals, and provided MHPSS services for the aected. 

• 24 April - Kyiv: In the early hours of 24 April, coordinated attacks struck Kyiv and at least eight other regions, resulting in 12 people killed and 87 injured in the capital city. In support of the emergency services, Health Cluster partners mobilized rapidly to provide on-site medical aid and psychosocial first aid to affected civilians, reaching a total of 143 people with immediate care. 

Sources: Health Cluster, WHO 

Humanitarian Access Snapshot

In March and April, humanitarian operations in Ukraine remained constrained by active hostilities, particularly in the vicinity of the front line. So far, front-line shifts in 2025 have been more gradual than in 2024. Yet the expanded use of combat drones, with ranges now capable of striking up to 15km from the front line, has created greater access challenges in reaching the most affected people in the front-line areas. While overall incidents reported through the Access Monitoring and Reporting Framework (AMRF) over January-February (52) and March-April (57) remained relatively stable, incidents from strikes impacting humanitarian personnel, assets and facilities rose from 27 to 37. Humanitarian activities in territories occupied by the Russian Federation have been minimal and remain extremely restricted. 

Frequent drone attacks and shelling near the front line continued to increase the physical risk to aid workers during the months. Air strikes on densely populated urban areas with an active humanitarian presence resulted in 13 incidents involving casualties among aid workers. Two aid workers were killed in the line of duty and a further 16 injured. Notably, Kherson City alone accounted for most of the incidents with casualties for humanitarian staff. The surge of attacks in larger population centres increased reports of humanitarian assets and facilities being damaged or destroyed, with more incidents (14) reported in large population centres across Ukraine than in locations (10) close to the front line. Attacks on Dnipro City on 26 and 28 March alone resulted in five incidents that damaged humanitarian warehouses, offices, guesthouses and other assets. 

Escalating hostilities in the border areas with the Russian Federation continued to disrupt humanitarian operations due to increased security checks in some areas. Three out of four incidents reported occurred in Sumska Oblast. Increased security checks and scrutiny of the movement of humanitarian staff due to increased related to the situation across the border resulted in delays and disruptions of humanitarian activities. 

Military mobilization continued to reduce the capacity of some humanitarian actors to deliver vital aid services in some areas, with 12 incidents reported during this period. 

Source: OCHA

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Japan and UNEP unveil new funding for environmental recovery in war-affected Ukraine

The Government of Japan and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced a new round of funding, including for a vital environmental recovery initiative in Ukraine, where the ongoing war continues to pose environmental challenges. The announcement was part of a launch ceremony for a close to US$4 million supplementary grant to UNEP from Japan aimed at fostering environmental stewardship and promoting sustainable development worldwide.

In Ukraine, UNEP will lead the implementation of the new initiative “Enhancing capacity of hazardous waste management”. The initiative will establish approaches for the sustainable management of war debris containing asbestos, an environmental and public health risk and challenge to Ukraine's recovery. The initiative reaffirms Japan's commitment to support recovery and local capacity for sustainably managing war-related environmental challenges.

"Environmental recovery is fundamental to Ukraine's future resilience and sustainable development," said Cecilia Aipira, Chief of the Disasters and Conflicts Branch within UNEP’s Ecosystems Division. “Japan's support will help address challenges that affect human health and ecosystem recovery in Ukraine’s areas severely affected by war.”

The war in Ukraine has caused significant destruction across the country’s northern, eastern and south-eastern regions. As of January 2024, the Kyiv School of Economics estimated damage to at least 250,000 buildings, including private houses, multistorey buildings, and dormitories, as well as extensive damage to enterprises, shops, administrative buildings, kindergartens, medical institutions, and cultural facilities.

Over 70 per cent of the roofs of residential and public buildings in Ukraine are covered with corrugated asbestos-cement sheets. Asbestos-containing flat slate panels – repurposed from roofing materials – are commonly used as fencing material. Asbestos-cement pipes are also used in water supply and heat removal systems. The new initiative will include assessment of safe management approaches for asbestos-containing debris and its recycling potential, addressing costs, disposal space and public health considerations. It will provide technical support to apply international standards for material testing and worker safety, while conducting site trials to determine optimal methods for handling contaminated debris. Additionally, the initiative will increase awareness of requirements to manage asbestos and develop legal frameworks to engage donors’ support. UNEP's Kyiv Office will implement the initiative together with local authorities and non-governmental organizations working on debris and waste management.

“Ukraine's sustainable recovery can only be possible if it integrates and promotes the global human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” said Pier Carlo Sandei, Senior Programme Officer at UNEP Kyiv Office. “The new initiative funded by the Government of Japan contributes to possessing this right by reducing the exposure of asbestos on Ukraine's population.”

Japan is among UNEP’s 15 leading funding partners. The newly announced initiative builds on Japan's past support to UNEP's work in Ukraine. Other UNEP initiatives funded by Japan’s supplementary grant have focused on environmental monitoring and hazardous waste management in war-affected regions in Ukraine, including the assessment of the Kakhovka Dam breach in 2023. This continued support will make a major contribution to Ukraine's broader green recovery from the environmental impacts of war.

Source: UNEP