USAID helps Ukrainian volunteers to meet the needs of people affected by the conflict in Donbas.

Courtesy of Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative

USAID/OFDA provides lifesaving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and conflict affected vulnerable populations throughout eastern Ukraine and Kyiv Oblast.

USAID/OTI's goal is to enable vulnerable Eastern communities to actively participate in, benefit from and advocate for Ukraine’s transition to a prosperous, unified and democratic state. It does this by working in the East to:

• Increase support for and participation in the development of an inclusive Ukrainian identity; and
• Increase citizen confidence and engagement in the reform process at the local level.

Current programs:

Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI)
Chemonics International Inc.
July 11, 2014 – April 17, 2019

USAID’s Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI) will complement ongoing USAID efforts to create a prosperous and stable Ukraine. The program will provide fast, flexible, short-term assistance to Ukrainian partners in support of successful, peaceful democratic transition and community cohesion in the wake of deepened social tensions and conflict the East. The program’s overarching objectives are to enable communities and government to mitigate the conflict’s destabilizing effects, and enhance public engagement in the GOU’s response to the crisis and the broader political transition. UCBI assistance will come in the form of small in-kind grants (goods, services and technical support) to a range of partners, including national and local civilian government entities, civil society organizations and community leaders.

Training, Economic Empowerment, Assistive Technology and Medical/Physical Rehabilitation (TEAM)
UCP Wheels for Humanity
October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2017

Training, Economic Empowerment, Assistive Technology and Medical/Physical Rehabilitation (TEAM) improves rehabilitation support services in the country through specialized training for rehabilitation personnel, vocational and business training for IDPs and their families, and increased access to assistive devices such as prosthetics and wheelchairs.  Rehabilitation professionals, including neurologists, urologists, psychologists, physical, occupational, and speech therapists, nurses, and social workers, receive specialized training to provide better rehabilitation services in Ukraine’s hospitals.  In addition to increased access to assistive devices IDPs and their families receive job skills and business development training to get jobs and start businesses.

Improving Psychosocial Support and Mental Health in Ukraine (IPSMHU)
John Hopkins University
September 30, 2015 – September 30, 2018

The Improving Psychosocial Support and Mental Health in Ukraine (IPSMHU) activity promotes national adoption of IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, by strengthening social safety nets and integrating support systems. This activity will also strengthen the capacity of relevant local entities (governmental and non-governmental)  to apply IASC Guidelines in at least one city in eastern Ukraine and increase local capacity provide referrals to  those needing mental health and other trauma-related services.

Improving Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Conflict-Affected Populations in Eastern Ukraine
International Medical Corps
September 1, 2015 – October 31, 2017

The project provides adequate and timely psychosocial support to victims of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, increases levels of coordination and information exchange between non-government organizations and government service agencies, and provides capacity building and quality improvement initiatives in the mental health and psychosocial sectors, including training to identify individuals requiring specialized mental health care services (e.g., victims of trauma).  In cooperation with the National University of Kyiv - Mohyla Academy, this activity develops and accredits training programs in psychosocial support for organizations providing such assistance.

The project promotes the practical application of Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Ukraine through the establishment of an Inter-Agency Task Force. The task force is a platform for coordination and cooperation between the government, international NGOs, Ukrainian NGOs, and academic institutions. The project works with the following non-governmental organizations to improve psychosocial support and rehabilitation services: Nasnaha CF in Bakhmut and Druzhkivka, Resurs NGO in Zaporizhzhia, and Studena NGO in Kramatorsk.

Yedyna Hromada (United Community) Program in Ukraine
IREX
September 9, 2016 - September 18, 2018 

The Yedyna Hromada program will bridge divides and facilitate greater trust and cohesion within conflict-affected communities. It will also work with key influencers, including local government officials, media professionals, civil society actors, and other stakeholders, in 12 target communities within Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk oblasts. The program will apply a three-pronged, people-to-people approach to impart skills, build trust, and create cohesion among internally displaced persons and local citizens through public discussion and collaborative projects that address pressing community needs, making communities more unified and resilient.