Finland grants EUR 20 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine

At the start of the year, the humanitarian assistance decisions of Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs prioritise support for Ukraine, major refugee crises in Africa and the humanitarian situation in the Middle East. The humanitarian assistance Finland now grants totals EUR 72 million, and EUR 20 million of this assistance will go to Ukraine. Humanitarian needs are record high at the same time as global funding is declining.

Finland has granted humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the first day of Russia’s war of aggression and will continue to do so in the years to come. The cold winter and the war make the humanitarian situation critical in Ukraine. Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have deprived millions of people of heating, electricity or running water. At the same time, the situation is dire for civilians in frontline areas and large cities.

Finland grants a total of EUR 20 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine under the budget item ‘Support for Ukraine’. The assistance will be channelled through UN humanitarian agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). They are responsible for helping Ukrainians to survive the winter and the disruptions in heating by supplying people heaters, fuel, clothes and cash and by helping them repair housing and water, power and heatings systems damaged by Russia’s strikes. Finland grants EUR 6 million to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), EUR 6 million to the World Food Programme (WFP), EUR 5 million to the ICRC and EUR 3 million to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which grants funding based on local needs.

“Russia's strikes are making it significantly more difficult for people living in the midst of the war to survive the Ukrainian winter. It is now essential to help supply energy and heating in face of the acute needs for humanitarian support. By stepping up our assistance we are meeting people’s basic needs. Finland stands by Ukraine,” says Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio.

Humanitarian needs are record high at the global level. Finland’s humanitarian assistance decisions at the start of the year prioritise support for Ukraine, major refugee crises in Africa and the humanitarian situation in the Middle East.

Finland supports UNHCR’s regional operation in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region with EUR 3 million, helps alleviate the famine and improve food security in Sudan by channelling EUR 2 million through WFP and contributes EUR 2 million to the ICRC’s regional operation in the Sahel region. In the Middle East, Finland is alleviating the humanitarian distress of Palestinians by channelling EUR 5 million through OCHA’s pooled fund and EUR 2 million through the ICRC. Finland is also easing the humanitarian situation in Myanmar and helping Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by channelling support through UNHCR and OCHA’s pooled fund. The hunger crisis in Haiti is alleviated through WFP.

Finland also supports disability inclusion by channelling altogether EUR 6 million through the UN agencies WFP, UNHCR, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the Global Disability Fund (GDF). This helps humanitarian assistance reach people with disabilities who are often the most vulnerable members of society.

Finland will also grant EUR 4 million to WFP’s school meals activities. School meals are an important source of nutrition and the only meal many children receive a day during humanitarian crises.

In addition to humanitarian assistance, Finland grants core funding to multilateral humanitarian organisations, ensuring them flexibility to respond when humanitarian needs emerge. The rest of the budgeted humanitarian funding will be granted later in the year. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs also helps the humanitarian efforts of Finnish civil society organisations through programme-based support in 2026–2029.