UN lacks funds to help Ukrainians this winter
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
The United Nations (UN) lacks the funds necessary to support Ukrainians this winter due to insufficient organizational funding, according to Karolina Lindholm Billing, a representative of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
"The reality is that the funding situation for organizations like ours is far too low at this time of the year," she explained, adding that the UN currently has only 47% of the necessary funds to assist millions of Ukrainians who have been displaced or affected by the full-scale war.
Last year, the program was 70% funded.
Billing further said that there are currently around 3.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine. At the same time, ongoing shelling continues to increase that number.
"Almost 99,000 people have been evacuated or fled from frontline villages in Donetsk region since August 1," she added.
Power situation
Russian terrorist attacks have caused significant damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure. As a result, energy providers implemented power cut schedules during the summer. While no such restrictions are currently in place, it is likely only a matter of time.
According to Volodymyr Omelchenko, Director of Energy Programs at the Razumkov Center, power outages could likely return this winter, potentially affecting gray zones as well.
