Ukraine

Ukraine

Country Director

Erika Alfageme

Office Locations

Chernivtsi, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Vinnytsia

Founded

2022

Staff Size

52

Connect

Erika Alfageme

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Crisis Alert

Since Russia invaded in February 2022, one-third of Ukrainians have been forcibly displaced from their homes, making it the largest displacement crisis in Europe since World War II.

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Of the nearly 12.8 million displaced by the war, the majority still reside within Ukraine. Many Ukrainians have been displaced multiple times since 2014, following the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in the Donbas region.

As martial law restricts men from leaving the country, more than 90 percent of the 5 million Ukrainians who have fled to Europe are women and children, creating unique protection concerns. Family separation and overcrowding in collective shelters has also dramatically increased the risk of gender-based violence (GBV).

In 2001, HIAS set up an office in Kyiv to assist asylum seekers and Ukrainian Jews seeking to migrate to the United States. In 2013, HIAS helped found Right to Protection (R2P), an independent Ukrainian NGO providing humanitarian aid to internally displaced people in Ukraine.

Our Work

HIAS promotes prevention of gender-based violence, conducts direct case management, supports women and girls' safe spaces, and distributes dignity kits. Through a consortium, HIAS provides mental health support services to vulnerable populations impacted by the conflict and strengthens the capacity of local service providers. Through R2P, HIAS Ukraine distributes cash, food, and hygiene kits, as well as provide free legal aid and mental health counseling in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Rivne, and Poltava. Through Insight, HIAS supports safe spaces for LGBTQ people and women with children in Lviv and Chernivtsi, where shelters offer mental health consultations, legal aid, and food assistance.

Promote Economic Inclusion
Support Community Mental Health
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Impact Stories

Anatoly from Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast and his granddaughter are among the over 250 Internally Displaced People are living at the Vinnytsia No. 1 Center for Professional-Technical Education, a technical college on May 2022 in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. (Alan Chin for HIAS)

Right to Protection's Quick Pivot to a War Footing

Right to Protection (R2P) had to quickly formulate both short- and medium-term responses to deliver practical aid to hundreds of thousands of people when war broke out.

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Oksana Bezkorovaina and her daughter Masha spend time in the apartment of a friend where they stayed before shifting to an Airbnb with help from Our Choice and HIAS on June 4, 2022 in Warsaw, Poland. (Betsy Joles for HIAS)

In Poland, Airbnbs Offer Refuge for Weary Ukrainians

Searching for housing, Oksana Bezkorovaina and her sister contacted the Ukrainian House, an information hub for Ukrainian immigrants in Warsaw run by Our Choice Foundation. There they found that, with HIAS’ support, they had the option to stay in an Airbnb. They were relieved to know they’d have a place of their own as they worked out a plan for the weeks ahead.

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Partners

Airbnb

Right to Protection (R2P)

HIAS’ services are free. If someone tries to charge you for services claiming they represent HIAS, please report it at our confidential email address: ethics@hias.org. HIAS has a zero-tolerance policy on fraud and corruption. 

For any other inquiries please email us at info@hias.org.