The house stands, needs repair: the UN reported on funds for Ukrainians to restore housing damaged by the aggressor

Windows were broken, the roof was full of holes, there was no electricity and no running water - the UN cited an example of a Ukrainian family returning to a village that was severely damaged by hostilities and occupation. Noting the gradual repairs that were carried out with funds from UNHCR, the organization also reported that more than 2.2 million Ukrainians, 72% of whom are women and children, had to use "vital" assistance, UNN reports.

Details

Since the beginning of Russian aggression, more than 2.2 million people, including internally displaced persons and returnees, have received vital cash assistance. Seventy-two percent of them are women and children.

An example is given:

The life of 30-year-old Olena completely changed in February 2022. A few days before the start of the Russian invasion, she watched soldiers approach her small village of Kokhanivka in the Kherson region of southeastern Ukraine. Soon after, the territory was occupied. Olena and her family were forced to flee.

The family stayed in other cities for many months, going, in particular, to Zhytomyr in central Ukraine, where they had relatives. Olena's hometown was recaptured by the Ukrainian army later in 2022. The area was heavily mined - it was impossible to return immediately. After the waiting period ended, the family returned home in January 2023.

But the village was severely damaged by hostilities and occupation. The house was partially destroyed. The windows were broken, and the roof was full of holes, but the biggest problem was that we had no electricity for eight months. Neighbors who had generators were kind enough to help us so that we could continue to live there.

The family managed to:

• while demining continued, Olena's family found solar panels to provide electricity;
• people also received support from humanitarian organizations, including UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Later, circumstances became difficult again - the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine was destroyed in June 2023.

There were massive floods. Many houses near the river were completely flooded and damaged, and people could not stay there.

Olena and her daughters moved to another house in the village. But there was no working water supply at all. People found a warm place in a public institution. At the same time, Russia continued to carry out air strikes. Residents of the village tried to find electricity and internet access in the public institution due to the problem of regular power outages.

Olena, about whom the UN Refugee Agency tells, could not afford to repair the water pipes for a year and a half.

The woman's family remained without running water until, according to the agency, in early 2024, they received cash assistance from UNHCR.

This allowed Olena's family to pay for the repairs.

So now she and her daughters have running water, UNHCR reports.

Recall

UNN reported that the number of Ukrainians who applied for refugee status in France sharply increased in 2025. This refers to more than 7,000 applications from January to May. This is due to the reduction of resources for Ukrainians and problems with housing and work.