Ukraine three years on: Sharp increase in basic needs along the frontline

The share of people in need of medicine, food, or water assistance along the frontline in Ukraine has increased sharply over the past four months, warns the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

The share of households reporting the need for food and water assistance along the frontline has increased from 44 per cent in September 2024 to 70 per cent at the beginning of 2025, according to new NRC data. During the same period, the share reporting need of medicine has increased from 57 to 69 per cent.

“After three years, the situation in areas that are heavily affected by the war is worse than ever. More and more people are struggling to provide food and medicine for their families in places where it is increasingly dangerous for humanitarians to work,” said Marit Glad, NRC Country Director in Ukraine.

The lives of Ukrainians along the frontline are only getting more difficult. Constant shelling and attacks limit the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance while posing a constant threat to those living there. Those living there are often elderly people, who accounted for nearly half of civilian deaths in frontline areas in 2024. At the same time, NRC is seeing a steady flow of displaced people returning to frontline areas from more stable parts of Ukraine as they struggle to cope with the pressure of displacement.

“Life as an internally displaced person is hard,” Natalia told NRC. She returned from western Ukraine to her hometown, just 20 kilometers from the frontline. “It was difficult to find places to stay in as an internally displaced person, and rents were high. It was also hard to find a stable income. We all longed for home.”

People who have been displaced for many months, or even years, are showing worrying signs of struggling to cope while away from home. After three years, many have little left to sell, and families and friends can no longer support one another. Almost 40 per cent of displaced people in Ukraine say they have exhausted almost all of their savings and are increasingly accumulating debt. For many, the only option available is to return to their homes – even if they are damaged and close to the frontlines.

“Vulnerable displaced Ukrainians are forced to make agonizing decisions – either stay far from home with diminishing aid, limited job prospects, and rising living costs, or return to the most intense conflict-affected areas where safety and essential services remain almost non-existent,” said Glad.

Humanitarian assistance represents a lifeline for those who are in urgent need of support, but this lifeline is now at risk, with increased uncertainty around US funding disrupting essential aid – especially in frontline areas.

“We are extremely concerned with the prospect of reduced support for displaced and conflict-affected people in Ukraine. After three years, we should be working to help them rebuild their lives, not forcing them into a cycle of displacement and loss,” said Glad. “We need all donors to step up and ensure that people receive the assistance they need, in the place of their choosing.”