Humanitarian Cash Assistance for War-affected Populations in Ukraine

The programme targets low-income individuals and households with socio-economic vulnerabilities who are currently living in frontline or other war-affected areas of Donetska, Kharkivska and Khersonska, Luhanska, Sumska, and Zaporizka oblasts.

To ensure that support reaches those most in need, ERC Ukraine applies vulnerability-based criteria to identify individuals and households requiring urgent humanitarian assistance. The assistance helps people meet essential needs such as food, medicine, clothing, and hygiene. Priority is given to individuals affected by missile strikes or evacuations and those recently displaced. People with socio-economic vulnerabilities or specific protection concerns are also prioritised.

The targeting and socio-economic vulnerability criteria include the following groups:

• Single-parent households with at least one child under 18
• Households with three or more children under 18
• Households with children under the age of two
• Household of elderly persons (60 and older)
• Households with one or more persons with specific needs (disability, and/or chronic illness)

All vulnerabilities must be verified with relevant documents. Meeting a vulnerability criterion is required to participate but does not guarantee receipt of cash assistance. Pre-approval decisions are based on the information provided by the applicant, who represents the household in communication with ERC team.

Note: Individuals and households that have been displaced, mandatorily evacuated or directly affected by shelling/rocket attack within the last 30 days can reach out to their local authorities for information on humanitarian organisations working in the area and how to access their support. In this case, one of the above events must be confirmed by relevant documents.

Eligible individuals and households who pass assessment and verification will receive 3,600 UAH per person per month for three months. You may request to receive the assistance directly to your bank account or through cash collection at a bank or post office.

Assistance from ERC can be provided once per year, with the possibility to reapply after six months if the household faces a new vulnerability (such as displacement, disability). Limits do not apply to those have been recently displaced, mandatorily evacuated, or directly affected by shelling or rocket attack within the last 30 days.

To ensure fair access and efficient use of resources, individuals can receive cash assistance only once during the same time period and from a single organisation. If you have received assistance of UAH 3,600 per person per month from another humanitarian organisation within the past three months, you may not be eligible for financial support from ERC. Humanitarian organisations are working together to prevent duplicate assistance across different partners.

Households can request and receive assistance from other humanitarian organisations after ending the assistance period of three months without the need to wait, subject to the eligibility and selection criteria of each organisation.

ERC, in coordination with the UN and other humanitarian organisations, is active in transit centres and areas with high humanitarian needs. Registration information will be communicated with affected communities through trusted local channels such as community leaders, local authorities, social service centres, and local NGOs. If you live in war-affected areas and need support, updates about available humanitarian assistance will be provided through these community networks.

Online registration is available only for affected people living in hard-to-reach, war-torn areas where access to humanitarian aid is limited or unavailable. Online registration opening dates will be announced here in advance - please check this page for updates. 

Humanitarian aid is always free of charge. To apply, you will need to share personal information, which will be kept secure and only accessed by ERC staff involved in processing your application. After you submit your application, the ERC team will review your information and notify you of the decision within 3 weeks.