08/05/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/05/2025 17:34
Contar con un poco de dinero transforma la vida de quienes han dejado todo atrás por haber huido de conflictos y persecuciones. El apoyo financiero de supervivencia permite, entre otras cosas, pagar un alquiler para tener un techo, llevar comida a la mesa, tener acceso a medicamentos y atención médica, y enviar a niñas y niños a la escuela.
In 2024, UNHCR delivered $656 million to 5.3 million people in over 100 countries - from Ukraine to Syria, Bangladesh to Sudan and Afghanistan, and beyond.
And it is highly effective. By placing the decision-making and spending power directly in the hands of recipients, it ensures that humanitarian assistance is responsive to the needs of the moment, adaptable and efficient. Letting refugees decide what they need most and giving them the means to buy it is not only the most efficient way of doing things but also gives them back a sense of dignity and control, instead of being entirely dependent on others. It therefore means they can stabilize their situation and start to rebuild.
In the freezing depths of the Ukrainian winter, having the money to stay warm was literally a lifesaver for Anatolii and Valentyna. Their village, in the Sumy region, is less than 10km away from the Russian border.
When war broke out, their children and grandchildren fled to Poland - but the two pensioners were determined to stay. Their modest pensions barely cover their basic needs. But a winter grant from UNHCR allowed them to buy enough firewood to heat their home for three months and a gas canister to fuel their cooker.
"For pensioners like us, this assistance means so much," Anatolii said. "This is our home, and we are not leaving."