UNICEF says millions braces cold, harsh winter due to energy shortages in Ukraine
By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UNICEF Representative to Ukraine Munir Mammadzade said on Wednesday that the people in Ukraine are facing cold and energy shortages as the country prepares for a fourth winter under fire, since the invasion.
He said that thousands have been impacted, creating an urgent need for humanitarian aid since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine the eastern European country in 2022,
Munir Mammadzade said “Children and families already facing extreme daily stress are now forced to endure yet another winter during wartime.”
According to UNICEF, Ukraine’s harsh winter conditions—often plunging to -20°C (- 4°F)—together with the widespread destruction of housing, energy, and heating infrastructure —are making the cold season increasingly perilous for children.
The most affected by cold during the winter are primarily concentrated in northern and eastern Ukraine.
These include regions along the frontline and the northern border, specifically Chernihivska, Dnipropetrovska, Donetska, Kharkivska, and Sumska.
UNICEF reported that half of the families in Ukraine rely on centralized water supplied heated by gas or coal, since 2022, local heating infrastructure has sustained $2.5 billion in damage.
It said that household poverty has risen by 15 per cent, now affecting over a third of Ukraine’s population, with children disproportionately impacted, around 70 per cent living in poverty.
UNICEF said the combination of rising poverty and harsh winter conditions significantly increases risks to children’s health and well-being, with one in five families reporting health problems linked to cold indoor temperatures.
Mammadzade added “We’re working with local partners to provide support to vulnerable families and to minimize the impact of the winter months by keeping essential services running to protect children’s lives”.
UNICEF Ukraine 2025-26 winter response plan focused on the “efficacy of cash transfers” to households and schools, as well as the sustainable impact of local heating repairs and upgrades, including three core areas:
It noted that cash for winterization assistance targeting 272,000 people, including around 122,000 children, from vulnerable households in frontline areas and children with specific needs such as child protection concerns.
Cash grants for 600 education facilities, covers some 250,000 students, to support winter-related expenditures.
The agency noted that equipment and emergency repairs to strengthen district heating systems and ensure sustainable heating for one million people, including 170,000 children.
UNICEF stressed that challenges remain as for limited funding, inconsistent access to certain regions, widespread infrastructure destruction, and the unpredictability of hostilities.
UN agency is seeking $65 million to support over one million people, as part of the broader 2025–2026 UN winter response plan, which requires $277.7 million to continue delivering aid to the most vulnerable, it concluded.
