Ukraine
Problem statement
Russia's military aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 has plunged the country into great uncertainty. According to current OHCHR figures, the Russian military aggression against Ukraine has caused at least 40,838 civilian casualties, among which at least 12,450 civilians have been killed, including more than 669 children. More than half of all casualties confirmed so far have been recorded in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The actual number of civilian casualties across Ukraine is likely to be much higher, as information from locations with active fighting is limited. The fighting in Ukraine is thus still ongoing with shelling and bombing of civilian infrastructure, hospitals and homes of Ukrainians.
According to the latest available information, at least 135,000 square kilometers (7,000 before February 2022) of land in Ukraine is believed to be contaminated by either cluster munitions, mines or other explosive remnants of war. Cleaning up the territory will take several years, hampering reconstruction efforts and preventing people from returning to their daily lives. The spread of mine contamination, the intensification of the constant shelling with heavy artillery, air strikes and fighting will only increase the number of civilian casualties in the future. The attacks and the duration of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine are increasing the needs of the civilian population, where direct humanitarian assistance is most urgent. Attacks and destruction of health-care facilities prove the need for urgent action that is necessary, to provide adequate health care services to the injured civilians, among which the majority are the men.
In order to support implementation of activities, ITF has in September 2023 re-established its Representative Office in Ukraine.
What we do
Victim Assistance
Since 2014 until end of July 2019, ITF has enabled psychosocial rehabilitation for 465 children from Donbass region in Ukraine, who were severely traumatized due to war atrocities, have lost their relatives or friends and whose families are dealing with very tough economic circumstances. ITF has also successfully provided physical rehabilitation for a 15-year-old girl who was severly wounded and lost her left leg during the conflict in Ukraine. Six phases of rehabilitation were successfully completed in the period of 2015-2022 at the University Rehabilitation Institute in Slovenia (URI – Soča). Furthermore, ITF also enabled the rehabilitation of a Ukrainian internally displaced boy in Budapest.
In 2022, ITF provided psychosocial rehabilitation for 56 Ukrainian refugees in Slovenia, as a urgent response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. In addition, food and sanitary aid packages have been delivered to more than 3,000 individuals in Slavyansk, Mariupol, Bakhmut (Donetsk region), Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Kyiv, which are all regions most affected by the armed conflict.
In 2023 ITF has started with implementation of mental health and psychosocial assistance in Izmail and Kherson, with the goal to develop a school and community-based model of MHPSA accessible to all children and their parents in the region. To achieve that, the project aims to mobilize and build capacities of those who can reach a critical number of children in distress, as well as their parents. The project continues in 2025-2026.
In cooperation with Superhumans Center in Lviv, ITF will provide medical and psychosocial rehabilitation for 20 victims of armed conflict in Ukraine. During 2025 and 2026 war-affected veterans and civilians will regain independence through comprehensive prosthetic and rehabilitation services.
Capacity Building
As response to ongoing hostilities in Ukraine in 2025 and 2026, ITF and URI-Soča continue to offer training programs for approximately 250 Ukrainian medical personnel and experts in order to enhance their local capacities and national ownership.
In addition, ITF and NGO Unconquered will provide training in the area of humanitarian demining. This project supports the sustainable reintegration of Ukrainian war veterans by combining certified training in humanitarian demining with tailored psychological support. Approximately 40 individuals will receive comprehensive training cycle, job placement support, and public awareness, as it creates a qualified workforce to clear contaminated land, restore safe living conditions, and foster social inclusion.
For more information on ITF’s past activities in Ukraine, we welcome you to consult our Annual Reports, while for the plans in the forthcoming year please consider our Portfolio of Projects.