4 Facts: Understanding Ukraine’s Humanitarian Catastrophe

As fighting rages on in Ukraine and hospitals and civilians face increasing attacks, millions of people are suffering the devastating consequences.

In a matter of weeks, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has led to one of the world’s largest refugee crises and widespread medical needs across the region.

Project HOPE is on the ground in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and Moldova delivering badly needed medicines, medical supplies, and support for Ukrainian refugees.

Here are four facts that underline the staggering scale of this crisis and the impact it will have in the months to come.

Fact 1: More than 11 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine since the invasion began in late February.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a massive refugee crisis.

One-quarter of Ukraine’s population has been displaced by conflict over the past two months. As of early April, more than 4 million people have crossed Ukraine’s borders seeking safety in neighboring countries including Poland, Romania, and Moldova. With most men unable to leave Ukraine, 90% of refugees are women and children. But it’s not just an international problem — there are more than 7 million people internally displaced in the country.

Project HOPE teams in Poland, Moldova, and Romania are providing urgent support for refugees seeking safety. In Moldova, Project HOPE partners SAMU are providing direct care and health screenings for refugees as they cross the border, while in Poland our support is helping the University Children’s Hospital in Krakow provide care for refugee children.

Fact 2: At least 100 attacks on health care have been recorded.

The World Health Organization has verified at least 100 attacks on health care since the war started, including 89 attacks on hospitals. That’s roughly equivalent to every hospital in Arizona being attacked by a foreign military. Between February 24 to March 21, there were more than two attacks a day on hospitals and health care facilities in Ukraine, including a children’s and maternity hospital in Mariupol. The attacks have resulted in at least 73 deaths.

Critical infrastructure is being destroyed where civilians are most vulnerable and care is needed most. The consequences are devastating in the short term, but they will also have a profound impact on Ukraine long after this crisis is over. The conflict has also disrupted access to basic medical services and greatly increased risk for people living with some of the country’s greatest health challenges, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV and TB.

Project HOPE is rushing to supply hospitals inside Ukraine with the urgent medicines and medical supplies they need to care for patients. We have imported multiple shipments of relief into Lviv for further distribution across the country, including a shipment of 100 pallets of pharmaceuticals and supplies that included desperately needed insulin, needles, sutures, and gauze.

Fact 3: The conflict’s impact on the global food market could leave 13.1 million people without enough to eat.

That’s more than the entire population of Illinois. Russia and Ukraine are both crucial parts of the global food system: Prior to the conflict, the two countries supplied nearly 30% of the world’s wheat, 17% of its corn, 32% of its barley, and 75% of its sunflower seed oil.

Many countries in Africa and the Middle East have relied on Russia and Ukraine for grain — a region often referred to as the world’s “breadbasket.” Both countries have banned exports of grain and other essential food items since the conflict began, sending shockwaves through global markets and driving up the prices of food and fuel. As of March 20, wheat prices had increased by 21% and barley by 33%.

The disruption will exacerbate the world’s food crisis: It’s estimated that anywhere from 7.6 million to 13.1 million people could go hungry as a result, leading to profound health impacts that could reverberate around the world.

Fact 4: Some 80,000 women in Ukraine are expected to give birth in the next three months, and many of them don’t have access to maternal care.

Women are disproportionately impacted by humanitarian crises. In Ukraine, it’s estimated that 80,000 women will be giving birth in the next three months — and because of the desperate state of Ukraine’s health system, many of them will have no choice but to deliver without maternal care.

This is especially alarming for the 12,000 women predicted to need lifesaving emergency obstetric and newborn care, who will be at heightened risk of dying from preventable causes.

Project HOPE is helping ensure hospitals across Ukraine have the essential pharmaceuticals and medical supplies they need to treat patients. As we continue to scale up our response, our teams in and around Ukraine are assessing health facilities to determine the greatest needs and how we and our partners can help fill those gaps. And as refugee numbers continue to increase — especially in Poland — our teams are preparing contingency planning for health facilities to be able to meet the increased demands on their systems.