I’ve met terrified Ukrainians who don’t know how they will survive the winter

Winter is predictable, but every year it blindsides organisations who are unprepared to support refugees through the coldest months.

Following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the world’s attention turned to the millions of Ukrainians left behind to face the cold. Ongoing Russian missile strikes have destroyed half of the country’s power grid, leaving at least nine million Ukrainians without electricity to heat their homes.

With snow starting to fall and a severe shortage of coats, shelters and heating fuel, cases of pneumonia, frostbite and influenza are rising. A lack of forward planning by international organisations has intensified these issues, with many now lacking the essentials needed to make it through the winter.