Our partnership with the people of Ukraine is firm and enduring, and we are focusing on Ukraine’s urgent humanitarian needs as an important part of our response to Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified attack. It is with the well-being of ordinary Ukrainians in mind that we announce the provision of nearly $54 million in humanitarian assistance to those affected by the new Russian invasion. This funding includes nearly $26 million from the State Department and $28 million from the United States Agency for International Development.
The United States is one of the largest humanitarian donors to Ukraine, and our humanitarian assistance now totals nearly $405 million to vulnerable communities since Russia invaded Ukraine eight years ago. . This final tranche of humanitarian aid will be channeled through independent humanitarian organizations that provide needs-based aid with impartiality, humanity, neutrality and independence.
This additional aid will enable international humanitarian organizations to continue to support the people of Ukraine, working closely with the Ukrainian government and European allies and partners on the front line of any response. This includes the provision of food, clean water, shelter, emergency health care, wintering and protection. Our funding will also help humanitarian organizations maintain contact between family members who have been separated due to the conflict, which will hopefully lead to reunification in some cases.
The United States commends the hospitality of neighboring countries in the region that host fleeing Ukrainians, and we pledge diplomatically to support their efforts to keep their borders open and assist those seeking international protection. As with any refugee situation, we call on the international community to respond to the needs of those seeking protection in a manner consistent with the principle of non-refoulement and our common obligations under international law. We welcome the contributions of other donors to this crisis response and urge others to generously support the immediate humanitarian needs in Ukraine and the region.
