European Union contributes €5 million to support children and families ahead of winter

KYIV, 31 October 2025 — The European Union has allocated an additional €5 million to UNICEF to provide critical winter support and emergency assistance to vulnerable families with children in Ukraine’s frontline regions. This brings the EU’s total contribution, through humanitarian action, to UNICEF’s emergency response to more than €84 million since February 2022.

The funds will help families cover heating, energy, and other essential winter needs during the 2025–2026 season, while also providing child protection and emergency support in the aftermath of attacks or evacuations.

Extensive damage to energy, heating, and water systems is severely disrupting access to essential services for households, health facilities, and schools, with pressure expected to intensify as winter approaches.

“The European Union stands with the people of Ukraine, especially the most vulnerable children and families living in frontline areas,” said Marianna Franco, Head of the EU Humanitarian Aid office in Ukraine. “This support ahead of winter is part of our broader commitment to ensuring that vital services essential for survival and wellbeing remain accessible to those who need them most,” added Marianna Franco.

With the new EU contribution and response, UNICEF will provide:

• Cash assistance for more than 2,700 households with children living within 10 to 20 kilometers of the frontline to help cover their heating and energy needs during the winter.
• Comprehensive case management services for the most vulnerable families, including mental health and psychosocial services for children at risk, particularly in the aftermath of attacks, evacuations, or other emergencies.
• Critical repairs and rehabilitation of water, sanitation, and heating infrastructure, to support the continuity of basic services for 1,750,000 people.
• Rapid rehabilitation of educational facilities damaged in attacks for some 4,500 children to quickly resume schooling through face-to-face or blended learning. In addition, 45 more learning spaces will be provided with safe and child-friendly shelter facilities.

“Ahead of winter, families living closest to the frontline face extraordinary hardships with the war raging on,” said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine. 

“This timely support from the European Union will help vulnerable households with children to better cope with the harsh winter months and ensure children receive the protection and support they need during emergencies,” Mammadzade stressed.

This additional support builds on the EU’s broader humanitarian assistance package to UNICEF in Ukraine, which includes critical interventions in education, child protection, including mine action, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, and social protection.

Between March 2022 and June 2024 with EU humanitarian funding, UNICEF and partners have provided assistance to around 2.8 million people.