In January 2026, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine remained tense due to increased attacks and disruptions to critical infrastructure. This is stated in the UN World Food Programme Report No. 69 for January 2026. The number of security incidents related to the activities of humanitarian organisations has more than tripled compared to the same period last year. Against this backdrop, the government declared a state of emergency in the energy sector, while humanitarian agencies continued to provide food and cash assistance to millions of people.
ua-202601_ukraine_externalsituationreport69Deterioration of the security situation
Seven security incidents were recorded in January, compared to two during the same period last year. One of the incidents resulted in the death of a person receiving assistance. On 22 January, an FPV drone attacked a local administration vehicle while it was delivering bread to Kozacha Lopan and Nova Kozacha, located near the Russian border. Two local officials were killed and the vehicle was destroyed.
The attacks also affected humanitarian organisations. The risks for employees and partners in frontline areas have increased, affecting the conditions for aid delivery and access to communities.
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Attacks on energy infrastructure
January saw massive rocket and drone strikes on the energy network amid sub-zero temperatures. In Kyiv, up to one million households were left without electricity, and part of the city was left without heating and water supply. Damage was caused to railway infrastructure, water supply systems and substations that are important for nuclear safety. The government declared a state of emergency in the energy sector.
The attacks affected the Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Rivne regions. Prolonged power outages forced schools in eight frontline regions to extend their holidays or switch to distance learning. School meal programmes were temporarily suspended. The Ministry of Education cancelled the spring holidays and extended the school year until the end of June 2026.
The scale of food aid
In January, approximately 273,200 people received assistance. About 120,000 people in seven frontline regions were provided with 30-day food packages. In areas where markets continued to function, nearly 131,000 people received cash assistance to purchase food worth US$3.74 million.
Evacuees in transit centres received a one-time payment of 10,800 hryvnia per person. Such support has already been provided to more than 700 people from the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions. Partners also distributed approximately 6,500 ready-to-eat food kits to those affected by the shelling and those staying at evacuation centres.
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Logistics and coordination
In the frontline regions, 1,850 tonnes of food were delivered to partners to support 153,000 people. Arctic-grade fuel was used for delivery in temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius. Logistics warehouses were optimised, and some capacities were reduced in Dnipro and Odesa.
The logistics cluster organised three interdepartmental convoys to six hard-to-reach communities in the Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Seven trucks were involved in the transport. Partners delivered food, medical supplies, winter equipment and essential items.
In Kyiv, due to power outages, cooperation with World Central Kitchen has been strengthened, which provides 6,500 hot meals daily at 42 warming centres. If necessary, the volume can increase to 20,000 servings per day.
Funding and needs for 2026
The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan estimates that 10.8 million people will require assistance, including 2 million in the areas of food security and livelihood support. The needs-based operational plan is 21 per cent funded for the next six months, with US$269 million required to support activities.
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