Operations continue without pause, bringing winter aid to families in need despite setbacks

This autumn, as Ukraine faces another difficult winter, we remain committed to fulfilling our winterisation plans in full. Already, fuel briquettes are being dispatched to Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, roofs are being repaired, and new windows are being installed in homes damaged by shelling. Much of this support is delivered in frontline areas or communities close to them, where needs are the greatest. The continuity of this assistance is our top priority, and our teams are making sure that no setback interrupts the flow of aid.

The village of Rizdvianka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast was recently hit by a series of guided bomb attacks, destroying a school and several homes. Among those affected was Nataliia Boiko, a retired teacher whose house was damaged in the blasts. Living alone and having survived two strokes, she was deeply moved when we delivered fuel briquettes to her—so much so that words of gratitude nearly failed her.

For local residents, finding firewood has become almost impossible.

“There were three consecutive strikes. I was thrown out of bed in fright and, still terrified, crawled under the table and couldn’t get out. My windows were blown out, but others lost their homes completely. My heart is in my mouth all the time. Firewood is very expensive now, and we can’t get it because the forests have been mined. But you brought it here—you delivered and unloaded the briquettes. I am very grateful for your help.”

Earlier this September, a fire at a civilian logistics base in Dnipro spread from a neighbouring warehouse to People in Need’s one and damaged humanitarian supplies.

But our work never stopped. Within days, we secured new premises, set up operations, and restarted dispatches. Thanks to the immediate reaction of our staff, deliveries continued without pause, ensuring families in frontline and recently liberated areas still received the support they needed.

“Our staff reacted immediately and worked together to resolve the situation,” says Anna Duda, Country Director of People in Need Ukraine. “Within days, we had a new warehouse up and running, and aid was on its way to families in need. This quick, united response shows the strength, dedication, and resilience of our team — and our unwavering commitment to the people of Ukraine.”

As Ukraine heads into another winter of war, People in Need remains fully operational. Our commitment is clear: to stand alongside the people of Ukraine, to deliver life-saving assistance — especially in frontline and hard-to-reach areas — and to ensure that families across the country are supported, no matter what challenges arise.

Our plans

There is still a lot of work ahead. This winter, we plan to provide support to thousands of families in frontline and war-affected regions.

Our teams are currently working on:

• large-scale distribution of 2,702 sets of fuel briquettes (3.5 tonnes per household);
  
• providing financial support to 15,638 households to prepare for winter;
  
• restoring 20 heating systems.
  

We also plan to carry out 2,500 minor and medium repairs to homes so that people can face the cold season in safer conditions. Our work covers seven regions: Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia.

We remain close to the people so that every family has a chance to survive another winter of war with warmth and dignity.