Finland allocates €20 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine

Finland announced it would allocate €20 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine as part of a broader €72 million support package unveiled at the start of the year, the Foreign Ministry said on February 23.

The funding comes as humanitarian needs reach record levels globally, while overall international financing declines.

Helsinki has supported Ukraine since the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion and will continue its assistance in the years ahead. The humanitarian situation in Ukraine remains critical due to the war and harsh winter conditions.

Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have left millions without heating, electricity or running water, affecting civilians both along the front lines and in major cities.

The €20 million allocation to Ukraine will be channelled through United Nations humanitarian agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The support is aimed primarily at winter relief, including the distribution of heaters, fuel, clothing and cash assistance, as well as repairs to homes and damaged water, electricity and heating systems.

Of the total, €6 million will go to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, €6 million to the World Food Programme (WFP), €5 million to the ICRC, and €3 million to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, which provides grants locally based on needs assessments.

“Russia’s attacks are significantly hampering the survival of people living amid the war in Ukraine’s winter conditions. Supporting access to energy and heating is particularly vital now, as humanitarian needs are acute. With increased assistance, we are helping people meet their basic needs. Finland stands with Ukraine,” Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio said in a statement.

Beyond Ukraine, Finland’s early-year humanitarian decisions prioritise major conflict zones, refugee crises in Africa and the humanitarian situation in the Middle East.

Finland will allocate €3 million to UNHCR’s regional operation in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region, €2 million through the WFP in response to famine and food insecurity in Sudan, and €2 million to the ICRC’s regional operation in the Sahel.

In the Middle East, €5 million will be channelled to OCHA’s pooled fund to support the humanitarian needs of Palestinians, alongside €2 million through the ICRC. Additional funding will support the humanitarian situation in Myanmar and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh via UNHCR and OCHA, as well as efforts to address Haiti’s hunger crisis through the WFP.

Finland will also provide €6 million to promote disability inclusion in humanitarian response through the WFP, UNHCR, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the UN Disability Fund (GDF), aiming to ensure aid reaches people with disabilities who are often among the most vulnerable.

A further €4 million will be granted to the WFP to develop school meal programmes, which provide critical nutritional support and, in many crises, represent the only daily meal for many children.

In addition to the new decisions, Finland will continue providing core funding to multilateral humanitarian organisations to enable flexible responses to evolving needs. The remaining budgeted humanitarian funding will be allocated later this year, while Finnish civil society organisations will receive programme support for humanitarian work during 2026–2029.

By Aghakazim Guliyev