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Humanitarian aid and civil protection
The Commission has allocated over €1.4 billion for humanitarian aid programmes in Ukraine to be implemented by partners on the ground.
In line with the priorities of the Ukrainian government, EU humanitarian assistance provides
- shelter
- cash support
- healthcare
- food assistance
- education
- water and sanitation
In addition, over 159,000 tonnes of in-kind assistance have been delivered to Ukraine from EU Member States and partners via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
The EU, its Member States and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) partners have provided €380 million for humanitarian demining, including €80 million from the EU budget.
The EU has been coordinating medical evacuations of Ukrainian patients in urgent need of treatment, transferring more than 5,000 patients to hospitals across Europe to receive specialised care so far.
In 2022, the EU mobilised €330 million for an emergency support programme that has helped secure access to basic goods and services, such as education, healthcare, and food. The support programme has also helped to protect the population — both internally displaced people and their host communities — and to support small and medium enterprises and agriculture.
rescEU support
The EU has mobilised medical supplies, temporary shelter units, and power generators, but also specialised equipment for public health risks such as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats via the rescEU stockpiles.
In total, the EU has provided Ukraine with over €181 million in rescEU support since the beginning of the war.
Types of rescEU support provided to Ukraine include
- housing needs
- protection suits
- decontaminants
- ventilators
- infusion pumps
- patient monitors
- ultrasound devices
Temporary protection
Following the outbreak of the invasion the EU immediately triggered the Temporary Protection Directive. This gives displaced people fleeing the war in Ukraine certain rights in the EU, including
- residency permits
- means to access suitable accommodation
- medical care
- education for children
EU countries have since welcomed over four million people from Ukraine under this temporary protection scheme. The EU has agreed to extend temporary protection until March 2028, as the need for protection of people fleeing Ukraine remains clear.
The Commission introduced maximum flexibility so that Member States can also use unspent cohesion funds to support people fleeing the war. Thanks to this, up to €17 billion has been made available for this purpose.
Support for Ukrainian children
The EU has provided €100 million to help ensure that children can safely access education in Ukraine.
More than 380 school buses have been donated, and the Commission has delivered 1.5 million textbooks to students in Ukraine.
Bringing Ukrainian children back home
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 20,500 Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories.
The EU co-chaired with Ukraine and Canada a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children on 11 May 2026. During the event, participants committed to stepping up action for securing the return of every Ukrainian child taken by Russia, and ensuring full accountability for these crimes.
Stories from the ground
Anton Atroshchenko, 29, is an emergency medical technician (EMT). He is part of the 11th Emergency Medical Team at the Chernihiv Oblast Centre for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine. Following a recent health care reform in Ukraine, all ambulance drivers are required to qualify as medical professionals who provide urgent care outside hospital settings or en route to them. Anton became an EMT thanks to a training organised by the EU and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Chernihiv was under siege for 41 days. Once the team came under fire just as they exited a building. They sheltered in the corridor, behind two walls, along with residents. A wall collapsed just 15 metres from them. Thanks to the training as an EMT, Anton gained new skills that help save patients' lives every day.
This page was last updated on 15 July 2026