What humanitarian aid is and who can receive it in Ukraine

Humanitarian aid is free support for people in difficult life circumstances: food, medicine, clothing, hygiene products, temporary shelter. It is provided by charity funds, international organisations, religious communities and the state.

The main difference from social assistance: social payments are a duty of the state by law (pensions, subsidies, aid to low-income people), while humanitarian aid is voluntary support from organisations and people.

Formally this is anyone in difficult life circumstances: low-income people, lonely pensioners, people with disabilities, internally displaced people, large families, people who have lost their home or breadwinner. Each organisation has its own criteria and queue, so a refusal from one fund does not mean a refusal everywhere.

Where to turn: the local centre of social services (they know all the programmes in the community), charity funds in your city, church communities. Keep basic documents at hand: a passport, a pension certificate or a certificate of income, and for internally displaced people, an IDP certificate.

At Real Help the route is this: an application (online or by phone) → a check by the coordinator → inclusion in the programme. We help with grocery packs, prescription medicine and care products, and we make no cash payments. An application can also be submitted by a neighbour or a social worker, because many of our people in care would never ask themselves.