Ukraine

Ukraine

A HIAS mental health staffer embraces a group of elderly refugees at a shelter in Lviv, Ukraine on February 13, 2023. (Paula Bronstein for HIAS)

Office Locations

Dnipro, Kyiv

Founded

2022

Staff Size

57

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.

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.

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.

130,000

people received services in 2023

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.

HIAS’ community-based mental health programs promote the well-being of individuals, families, and communities affected by crisis and conflict so they can heal and rebuild their lives.

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We work to protect the right of women, girls, and LGBTQ communities to access their full potential and live free from violence by supporting survivors, mitigating risks, and transforming beliefs that perpetuate GBV.

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We provide legal services and support, including free legal representation for asylum seekers so that everyone around the world, including displaced people, can have equal access to their legal rights.

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Our economic inclusion programs ensure that refugees have economic opportunities to earn sustainable income and start their lives anew.

HIAS’ community-based mental health programs promote the well-being of individuals, families, and communities affected by crisis and conflict so they can heal and rebuild their lives.

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Resources

Jul 27, 2022

At Risk and in Need

Jul 27, 2022

Cover Image for the report In this policy brief HIAS examines the serious protection risks that certain groups — women and girls; unaccompanied and separated children; LGBTQ individuals; people with disabilities; and non-Ukrainian refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons — are experiencing.

Cover Image for the report

Sep 13, 2022

Waiting for the Sky to Close

Sep 13, 2022

As part of a partnership with HIAS, VOICE conducted a four-week rapid assessment of Ukraine and five bordering countries to assess the needs of women and girls affected by the war and the needs of WROs and groups responding to the emergency.

Impact Stories

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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May 2, 2022
Vinnytsia, Ukraine

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. 

PHOTOGRAPH by ALAN CHIN

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)

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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Oksana Bezkorovaina and her daughter Mariia wait in The Ukrainian House in Warsaw before shifting to an Airbnb where they are staying with help from Our Choice and HIAS on June 4, 2022 in Warsaw, Poland.

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)

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.

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