Ukraine is entering its fourth winter of war with damaged heating networks, depleted resources, and rising child poverty. To prevent a humanitarian crisis, UNICEF has unveiled a winter response plan for 2025–2026. The $65 million programme aims to reach one million people, providing families with heating, resources and financial assistance.
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Children at Risk Due to Damaged Infrastructure
As the fourth winter of full-scale war begins, vulnerability among Ukrainian families is sharply increasing. Damage to heating, water and power systems is disrupting access to basic services, medical care and education. According to UNICEF, damage to centralized heating systems since February 2022 has exceeded $2.5 billion, and these systems are critical for nearly half of the country’s population.
Poverty is rising in parallel. Over the past three years, household monetary poverty has increased by 15 percent, while material deprivation among children has reached 70 percent. Last winter one in five families reported health problems related to cold conditions at home.
“Children and families who already live under constant stress now face another winter during the war,” said Munir Mamedsade (Мунір Мамедзаде), UNICEF Representative in Ukraine. He added that the organization is working with local partners to help families cope and to reduce the winter’s negative impact on children.
How UNICEF’s Winter Plan Will Work
The winter response builds on lessons from previous years, when 94 percent of households that received cash assistance reported it to be effective. Most families spent the funds on utilities, heating, electricity, warm clothing and footwear.
The new plan for 2025–2026 sets out three main areas of support. First, cash assistance for 272,000 people, including some 122,000 children from vulnerable households, including those living near frontlines or with specific protection needs. Second, cash grants for 600 educational institutions serving around 250,000 pupils to cover winter-related expenses. Third, repairs and upgrades to heating systems to secure stable heating for one million people, including 170,000 children.
The plan aligns with the UN’s wider winter response strategy, which aims to deliver multisector assistance to more than 1.7 million Ukrainians.
Urgent Needs and Implementation Examples
Preparations for the cold season began months in advance to ensure supplies and equipment are in place. A recent example is the delivery and installation of new gas boilers and pipes at a boiler plant in Konotop in the Sumy region, which will help provide stable heating to homes of about 80,000 people even in emergency situations.
Despite active preparations, funding remains critical. The plan is currently 37 percent funded, leaving an urgent gap of $41 million for full implementation.
UNICEF thanked partners who have already contributed to the winter response, including the European Union, the governments of Germany and Norway, and UNICEF national committees. Continued international donor support is essential to protect Ukrainian children and families during the most difficult season of the year.
Plan Objective — Survival and Dignity
UNICEF’s winter programme aims not only to provide material relief but also to preserve the lives, health and dignity of children. The conditions in which Ukrainian families face another winter require not only resources but systemic support capable of meeting every child’s basic needs.
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