INSIGHTi

Humanitarian and Refugee Crisis in Ukraine
March 10, 2022
The humanitarian situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate following Russia’s invasion on February
24, 2022. Russia’s war against Ukraine threatens to trigger a wider humanitarian crisis and has resulted in
massive refugee flows to neighboring countries. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
stated that the war could cause “Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century.” With strong bipartisan
support for the humanitarian response, Congress may increase U.S. humanitarian funding for Ukraine (see
H.R. 2471) while considering related challenges such as humanitarian access and protection.
Conditions Inside Ukraine
As a result of Russia’s invasion, worsening humanitarian conditions have affected millions of people
inside Ukraine (which has a total population of about 44 million, including Crimea). As of March 8, 2022,
an estimated 1 million people had become internally displaced persons (IDPs) since late February.
(Previously, the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine since 2014 had resulted in an estimated 1.4 million
IDPs, with roughly 3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.) In the current
crisis, national and international humanitarian groups have limited or no access to areas under attack.
Evacuations from cities under siege by Russian forces are also precarious, with widespread reports of
violations of human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL). The needs of IDPs and the
communities hosting them are changing with the situation on the ground and are likely to intensify, given
the conduct of hostilities.
Refugee Flows to Europe
As of March 9, 2022, UNHCR reported that more than 2.3 million refugees—half of which were
estimated to be children—had fled recent hostilities in Ukraine, with more than 50% arriving in Poland.
Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, and other European countries are also receiving large numbers of
refugees. Although many of the refugees have been welcomed in the short term, the willingness and
capacity of neighboring and other countries to host Ukrainian refugees in the long term is not yet clear.
Government authorities, humanitarian organizations, local communities, and volunteers providing refugee
reception and assistance have reported various challenges, including congestion and delays at most
crossing points, and difficulties for third-country nationals trying to flee Ukraine. In addition, up to
100,000 people reportedly moved from Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk
regions to the Russian Federation (and Belarus) in the days before the start of hostilities, but their status is
unclear.
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Figure 1. Ukraine Refugee Crisis

Sources: Created by CRS. Refugee data from UNHCR; boundaries from U.S. Department of State.
European Responses
On March 4, 2022, the European Union (EU) adopted a temporary protection mechanism for displaced
persons fleeing Ukraine. The mechanism provides Ukrainian nationals and other legal residents of
Ukraine who cannot safely return to their countries of origin with immediate rights of residency, medical
assistance, and access to housing, education, and the labor market in EU countries. To take pressure off
national systems for processing asylum claims, the mechanism applies collectively, waiving the need to
examine individual applications. The decision initially applies for one year, with a provision that the EU
may extend the mechanism to up to three years. The 27 EU member states unanimously approved the
policy. Of the five frontline countries, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia are EU (and NATO)
members, while Moldova is not. The EU also has directed approximately $550 million from its budget to
provide humanitarian assistance in Ukraine and affected neighboring countries.
As of March 9, 2022, Poland had taken in more than 1.4 million refugees from Ukraine. Support for
assisting Ukrainian refugees has been widespread across Polish society and political parties. The Polish
government has set up a $1.8 billion emergency assistance fund to help feed and house refugees and
provide access to health care and social services. Poland shares many cultural and historical ties with
Ukraine; prior to the current crisis, Poland already was home to a Ukrainian community of 1.5 million
people. The willingness of Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to take in and support hundreds of thousands of
Ukrainian refugees contrasts with the anti-migration positions held by the three countries in recent years.
U.N. Humanitarian Appeal
On March 1, 2022, the United Nations launched a $1.7 billion humanitarian funding appeal to address the
acute humanitarian needs of crisis-affected people within Ukraine and the region. The United Nations
estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while more than 4 million
Ukrainian refugees may need protection and assistance in neighboring countries. To cover an initial three
months, the appeal seeks $1.1 billion to assist 6 million people inside Ukraine and $550.6 million to help

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support 2.4 million of the most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers. In support of regional
government efforts, the International Organization for Migration is assisting vulnerable third-country
nationals.
U.S. Response and Issues for Congress
Between 2014 and 2021, the United States provided over $351 million in humanitarian assistance to help
Ukrainians. As of March 10, 2022, the United States government had provided $159 million in
humanitarian assistance for Ukraine in FY2022, including nearly $107 million in the past two weeks. It is
not yet clear how much of the U.S. contribution, if any, supports activities under the recent U.N. appeal.
The Biden Administration’s request for FY2022 supplemental funding for critical assistance to Ukraine
included $2.75 billion to “support lifesaving humanitarian assistance, including emergency food
assistance, and additional support for vulnerable populations and communities” through global
humanitarian accounts in annual State and Foreign Operations appropriations bills. The House-passed
FY2022 appropriations bill (see H.R. 2471) includes $4 billion in additional funding for Ukraine
humanitarian assistance. The Biden Administration also announced it would apply temporary protection
to Ukrainian citizens already in the United States.
While strong bipartisan congressional support exists for providing humanitarian assistance in response to
the situation in Ukraine, Members of Congress may debate how such funds should be allocated and in
what amounts. Members may also
 monitor the levels and types of humanitarian funding and emergency food assistance
provided;
 conduct oversight of the delivery challenges encountered, including access and security
conditions in Ukraine, which could significantly undermine the effectiveness of
humanitarian operations;
 assess the situation and needs of neighboring countries hosting refugees fleeing Ukraine;
and
 address other related challenges, such as those associated with civilian protection and
violations of IHL.




Author Information

Rhoda Margesson
Derek E. Mix
Specialist in International Humanitarian Policy
Specialist in European Affairs





Disclaimer

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This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff
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