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Ukraine: UK aid and humanitarian situation 2022 to 2026

On 24 February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine, with forces crossing into the country from Belarus in the north, Russia in the east and Crimea in the south. After failing to take the capital, Kyiv, in 2022, fighting is now in its fourth year and focused in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Russia’s military actions forced many Ukrainians to leave the county and have caused significant damage to Ukrainian infrastructure and public services, creating a substantial level of humanitarian need and reconstruction costs.

The current conflict has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis that has been ongoing in eastern Ukraine since 2014. In that year, Russia annexed Crimea. Two regions in the Donbas, controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces, also declared independence.

This briefing describes the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, the number of displaced people, and what aid the UK and others have pledged since 2022.

The Commons Library’s Conflict in Ukraine collection provides more analysis on the conflict, including sanctions and meeting the costs of reconstruction.

Humanitarian needs

The situation in eastern Ukraine since 2014 caused the country’s humanitarian needs to grow. To January 2021, over 3,000 civilians were killed (PDF) and the UN estimated around 2.9 million people were in need of humanitarian aid (such as support to access shelter or health services) (at February 2022).

Between February 2022 and June 2026 more than 16,431 civilians were killed (this is a likely underestimate, according to UN monitors). In 2026, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance stands at around 10.8 million (Ukraine has an estimated population of 33 million).

In February 2026 the World Bank estimated that the cost of Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery stood at US$588 billion. It also estimates that Ukraine’s gross domestic product in 2025 was 21% smaller than in 2021 and poverty rates have risen from 21% to 36% of the population.

Many people have been displaced

Around 5.9 million refugees from Ukraine are recorded globally, and an additional 3.4 million are displaced within the country. Germany hosts the highest number of refugees (3.3 million), reportedly followed by Russia (1.2 million) and Poland (980,000). Around 264,000 refugees are in the UK.

UK aid to Ukraine

UK aid to Ukraine has risen substantially in recent years. Before the Russian invasion of 2022, the UK had provided a total of £204 million in bilateral aid (aid given for a specific programme or purpose) to Ukraine from 2010.

In 2022, UK bilateral aid rose to £342 million; this fell to £250 million in 2023 but rose to £270 million in 2024.

Data reported to the Development Assistance Committee, which includes the world’s major aid donors (except China) shows the UK was the seventh-largest donor of aid to Ukraine in 2024.

The government says it will protect UK aid to Ukraine as the aid budget falls from 0.5% of gross national income in 2025 to 0.3% in 2027. Bilateral spending from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be £240 million a year in the three years from 2026/27. Spending may also be committed from other departments and through multilateral channels. The government says priority themes will be humanitarian support and funding for Ukraine’s energy sector, economic recovery, and reconstruction.

The government is also committing funding through underwriting World Bank loans (to the value of £5 billion), a “market risk appetite” of over £3.5 billion for UK Export Finance, and £250 million in new funding for British International Investment, which invests in businesses and job-creation abroad.

G7, World Bank and IMF support

G7 members are the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, the United States, and Japan, as well as the European Union. At the G7 summit in May 2023, the group said it would increase its commitment of budget and economic support for Ukraine for 2023 and early 2024 to $44 billion. While no joint G7 pledges have been reached in 2026, EU support has increased substantially as US aid commitments to Ukraine have fallen under the President Trump. UN agencies have said they are targeting fewer people in need due to reduced funding.

Together with donors like the UK, the World Bank has mobilised $90 billion in finance for Ukraine from February 2022 to May 2026. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also announced a $15.6 billion programme for 2022 to 2027 as part of its wider package of support for Ukraine. An agreement was reached on a new $8.1 billion IMF programme (PDF) in February 2026.

Update log

February 2026: Updated humanitarian situation and some aid committments 

July 2026: Updated UK aid committments from 2026/27 and international aid comparisons.