Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 21, 2025 Humanitarian aid
As winter approaches, the situation in Ukraine's frontline areas is becoming increasingly dire. Andrea De Domenico, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) office in Ukraine, told the UN News Service.
“Winter is approaching and weather conditions are getting worse every day, so one of our priorities is to support people, especially the vulnerable, so they are prepared for the winter period,” De Domenico said.
According to him, with the increasing range of attack drones and glide bombs, the number of populated areas under daily attack is growing. "These daily attacks are striking civilian infrastructure. It is particularly alarming to see strikes on critical energy facilities, which make winter survival even more difficult," the UN representative added.
In August and September, he added, there were mass displacements due to pressure on the front lines. "The situation is particularly alarming in cities close to the front lines, where civilians are forced to flee constantly just to survive," De Dominico said.
Delivering aid under fire
Last week, a UN humanitarian convoy came under fire in the Kherson region, two trucks caught fire. Such are the realities of war—this year alone, there have been nearly 100 attacks on humanitarian operations. However, according to De Dominico, not counting the attack on IAEA staff, this is the first direct attack on a United Nations humanitarian mission. Humanitarian workers, as an OCHA representative noted, “were shocked,” but continued their work. “Risk is part of the conditions in which we live. This is what it looks like.” humanitarian operation in a war zone"," he said, adding that the UN has developed clear safety protocols to help protect the lives and health of staff.
De Domenico emphasized the role of local partners, who bear the brunt of the aid delivery: "The majority of humanitarian aid is delivered by local authorities and partners. We commend them for the fantastic work they do every day."
Priorities and resource constraints
"We are guided solely by people's needs," the OCHA representative noted, speaking about prioritization in a context of limited resources. He identified the key areas as providing assistance along the frontlines, supporting evacuations, responding to the aftermath of airstrikes, and assisting internally displaced persons. "This is a collective effort to prioritize and a collective effort to deliver aid to the millions of Ukrainians who need it," De Domenico said.
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According to him, local authorities, public and volunteer organizations play a special role: “We cooperate with numerous civil society organizations, dedicated to helping people. We try provide resources, which are necessary to move huge amounts of aid – after all, there are at least a million people living along the front lines who need support.”
Preparing for winter and appealing to donors
"We started thinking about winter back in the summer because preparation takes time," De Domenico said. The primary focus is on frontline areas where the most vulnerable groups remain—the elderly, many of whom have difficulty moving. "Programs are now operating at full capacity, and humanitarian partners and UN agencies are already delivering aid," he explained.
However, a new wave attacks on energy infrastructure creates additional difficulties. "We see that 60 percent of gas production facilities are damaged, and the electricity supply system is affected. Without water and electricity, it is very difficult for people to survive in the winter," the UN representative noted.
"We need more support from the international community to address this challenge," he added.
In total, he said, the UN humanitarian plan is designed to provide assistance to six million people, and by the end of August, it had managed to provide support to almost four million of them. "We are preparing for winter requested 277 million dollars"We've managed to mobilize approximately 50 percent of that amount," De Domenico said. "If we don't receive the rest, people won't be able to stay in their homes and will have to evacuate. That's the only way out," he noted.
Most people don't want to travel far from their hometowns: "People want to stay close to home, that's natural. But as the front gradually shifts and the range of attacks increases, they're forced to move again."
According to an OCHA representative, the most vulnerable displaced persons are being housed in collective centers supported by both the government and humanitarian organizations. "Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale recently allocated additional resources to support such centers through the Humanitarian Fund for Ukraine. It's crucial for us to continue receiving funds so we can flexibly and quickly direct them to where assistance is most needed," De Domenico said.
The Face of War
When asked about his personal impressions from traveling around the country and interacting with Ukrainians, Andrea De Domenico said: “When I started systematically going to the front lines and meeting people, I realized that war has the same color, the same smell, and the same sound as elsewhere. The peculiarity of Ukraine is that here the elderly suffer especially“The young people were able to leave [the frontline areas], but the older ones stayed.”
"When they have to evacuate, you see the pain in their eyes and the realization that they might never return home. It's terrible. And that's the price of war, the face it bears here," he concluded.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.