Supporting older people in Ukraine

Older people make up over a quarter of Ukraine’s population and are among those most affected by the war following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Many have been displaced, while others remain in dangerous areas with little access to essential services.

HelpAge International has been supporting older people in Ukraine since 2014 and continues to provide assistance both at home and in neighbouring countries. Beyond humanitarian aid, HelpAge is working to ensure older people are included in Ukraine’s recovery, with strong social protections, accessible infrastructure, and policies that uphold their rights and contributions. HelpAge advocates for reforms that promote their dignity, security, and full participation in society.

Ukraine three years on: the ongoing struggles of older Ukrainians

Nearly nine million older Ukrainians – one quarter of the population – have endured war, displacement, and loss. Yet their voices speak of perseverance, resourcefulness, and action.

Find out more

A trilogy of films highlighting the strength of older people in Ukraine

In partnership with dedicated Ukrainian filmmakers, HelpAge has produced a trilogy of short films that highlight the resilience of older people in Ukraine amid the ongoing war.

To feel human (2025)

In times of crisis, ordinary people rise to do extraordinary things. To Feel Human follows Anhelina, a 67-year-old social worker in Ukraine, who dedicates her life to supporting others. Witness her story of strength.

To feel human (2025) - watch the film

We are still here (2024)

The full-scale war in Ukraine has upended the lives of millions. Among the worst affected was the older population. “We are still here” is a reminder of their ongoing struggles, their significance and determination.

We are still here (2024) - watch the film

The light in the darkness (2023)

Made in Ukraine, filmed by and featuring only Ukrainians, this film captures the spirit, resilience and love forged in a country at war. For many thousands caught up in this terror, older people have been a light in the darkness.

The light in the darkness (2023) - watch the film

The reality in numbers

The war has reshaped daily life, leaving millions in need of support. Nearly nine million older Ukrainians face some of the greatest challenges – from displacement and financial hardship to access to vital services.

12.7 million people (one in three) need humanitarian aid
3.6 million people (one in ten) have been displaced
30% of those in need are older people
One million older people require medical assistance
2,100 attacks on healthcare facilities have disrupted essential services
75% of people report financial hardship, with older people especially vulnerable

HelpAge staff and volunteers provide humanitarian assistance to older people of Ukraine both within the country and abroad. We bring food, medicine, and hygiene supplies for older people, their families, and communities.

Read our latest updates about our activities in Ukraine

Supporting older Ukrainian refugees in Moldova

Since February 2022, Moldova has welcomed over a million Ukrainian refugees, including many older people facing challenges such as disability and mobility issues. HelpAge International, together with HelpAge Moldova, is assisting them and older Moldovans through key initiatives.

Age-inclusive humanitarian action: In partnership with the World Food Programme, this project provides food to Refugee Accommodation Centres and hosts social inclusion activities. It also advocates for older people’s needs, empowering local NGOs to deliver inclusive humanitarian aid.

DEC-funded support for older refugees: HelpAge, supported by Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and Age International, ensures older Ukrainian refugees, including those with disabilities, receive essential aid to improve their quality of life and live with dignity.

Resilience project: Launched in November 2024, this initiative provides cash assistance for essentials like food and rent and distributes mobility aids such as walking frames and glasses to promote independence.

How we are supporting older people in Ukraine

Behind the lens: Young filmmaker Adelina Borets on capturing Ukraine’s resilience through her films

Ukrainian filmmaker Adelina Borets reflects on her trilogy of films capturing the resilience, strength, and overlooked experiences of older people in Ukraine amid war.

25 years of supporting older Ukrainians

A HelpAge network member on delivering lifesaving support and empowering older people across Ukraine.

Horrific attack on older people’s home in Ukraine

This is a horrific example of how some of the most vulnerable are being impacted by this ongoing conflict.

Ukraine war - HelpAge support to older people

Crisis intensifies in eastern Ukraine as civilians face rising hostilities

Older people are among the most vulnerable in this crisis.

Independence through their eyes: what Ukraine’s freedom means to the older generation

On the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day, we speak with older Ukrainians about what freedom and independence mean to them.

World Humanitarian Day 2024: A Call to Protect Those Who Serve

The world is failing its humanitarian workers, and by extension, the millions of vulnerable people they serve.

Addressing Isolation and Mobility for Older People in Ukraine

Exploring the impact of the Ukraine war on mobility and social inclusion of older people, and the barriers to their involvement in community life.

International Partners Back Ukraine’s Ambition to Create A Society for All Ages

In a landmark meeting with EU partners, key leaders rallied support for older people in Ukraine to build a more age-inclusive society.

Unforgettable resilience: Interview with Victoriia Panchenko on survival and support amidst war in Ukraine

Interim Country Director for HelpAge International in Ukraine tells her story and reflects on the resilience of older generation after two years of war.

Critical concerns facing older Ukrainian refugees in Poland

Housing woes, income insecurity and healthcare obstacles amongst top priorities.

Ignoring the rapidly ageing population will jeopardize Ukraine’s recovery

A call for an age inclusive reform and recovery.

Nova Kakhovka dam breach: significant risk to older people in Ukraine

HelpAge's statement on the dam breach in Ukraine

Empathy and perseverance: how older people prop up their communities in the war

70-year-old Lyudmila is a social care worker in eastern Ukraine. In addition to talking about her own experience, she echoes the thoughts of the people she has worked with.

Older people in Ukraine are in need of warmth in the face of harsh winter

Alena Karimova, 41, is a HelpAge social worker, based in Lviv in western Ukraine. She regularly visits and supports 18 older people, evacuated from the East because of the war. She talks about how hard life is for everyone in Ukraine because of the cold winter weather and lack of power and electricity, caused by Russian attacks against energy infrastructure.

Stigma, trauma and song: The toll of war in Ukraine

Mental health - Reflections on the challenges older people face after months of the Ukraine war.

Adapting to life in a country at war

As the war continues, HelpAge International's country director in Ukraine Akbar Nazriev shares his insights on how things have changed and what life is like living under the ongoing threat of attack.

Six months: Delivery, impact and challenges

HelpAge International's Ukraine Humanitarian Response Manager, Orla Murphy, reflects on the past six months of full-scale war in Ukraine and the plans ahead to respond to the longer-term needs of those embroiled in a protracted war.

Stories of resilience in Dnipro – Ukraine

People have flocked to the city of Dnipro from all over eastern Ukraine, fleeing the war with Russia. Many are older people, who find themselves displaced in a strange city yet still responsible for the care of their loved ones. Here are their stories.

Moldova – Europe’s corner of generosity and heartache

It's taken a while to process my visit to Moldova where I saw the humanitarian response to support Ukrainian refugees, some of whom I had the privilege to meet.

Joint Statement on the Situation of Older Persons in Ukraine

Everyone living in Ukraine has felt the impact of this war, but in a country where one in four people is over 60, the impact on older persons, including those with disabilities, has been dramatic.

100 Days on: Millions of older people missing out in the response to the world’s oldest humanitarian crisis

Millions of older people caught up in the war in Ukraine are being overlooked in the humanitarian response, despite making up a quarter of the country's population.

Dnipro: Love, resilience, hardship and tragedy

Witnessing the impact of a humanitarian disaster is always profoundly challenging. But seeing so many older people affected in what is the world's 'oldest' crisis is particularly confronting.

Our Hundred Days: Older people and their war in Ukraine

June 4 marks 100 days since the start of full-scale war in Ukraine. For those in eastern Ukraine, February 24 was an escalation of a conflict they have endured for eight years. But, since then, we have seen the lives of everyone across the country changed beyond recognition.

“I don’t even know if the house I lived in is still standing.” Older people displaced by the war in Ukraine

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than three million people have passed through Lviv, a city in the west where the borders of five neighbouring countries converge. Most travel further into Europe becoming refugees, but the city and its surroundings has taken in around 500,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) since the start of the conflict, according to official data, and there are probably even more.

Peace and health: a story of Moldovan generosity

It is impossible not to notice signs of Moldovan solidarity with Ukraine. One such story is that of Argentina, 45, who is the manager of Zarea Hotel in the centre of Chisinau.

Inside, they are crying: a Moldovan hotel manager reflects on her Ukrainian guests

When the war in Ukraine began, Moldova, a small country nestled between Ukraine and Romania and Europe's poorest nation, initially thought it could accommodate 15,000 refugees. To nearly everyone's surprise, it received nearly 27 times that number.

Under the same sky: reflections from the Moldova-Ukraine border

Our colleague visited Moldova's border with Ukraine at Palanca, where thousands of refugees cross every day to escape the war.

The face of a mass exodus: the older women caught up in war

Women and children have always been victims of war and Ukraine's conflict is no different. Yet the faces are markedly older in this crisis: 25% of Ukrainians are aged 60 or over, making this the world's 'oldest' war.

My daughter cries every day because her husband has had to stay behind to fight

How HelpAge staff and their families cope as war takes hold, again.

The impact of war on older people (in Ukraine and everywhere else)

The war in Ukraine has destroyed everybody's lives regardless of who they are.

A Statement from HelpAge International in response to the warning that people should flee eastern Ukraine

In response to the warning for all civilians in eastern Ukraine to evacuate the area, HelpAge International's CEO Justin Derbyshire outlined a more complicated picture.

See a shelter for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova

HelpAge provides support to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. Let's visit the town of Belts and see how one of the refugee accommodation centres works.

Justin Derbyshire: Q&A on Ukraine

HelpAge International is one of a handful of INGOs that has operated in the country since 2014, working with a network of partners and volunteers to support almost 5,000 older people living near the contact line between government and non-government-controlled areas.

Refugees on the Moldova-Ukraine border

Thousands of refugees are crossing the border from Ukraine into Moldova every day, fleeing the dangers of the Russian invasion. HelpAge International is building up its humanitarian presence in Moldova - where it has been working since 2000 - to help as many of those arriving as possible. Samuel Wood, Head of Humanitarian at HelpAge, visited the border and shared his observations.

Older people on the edge of survival in eastern Ukraine

Older people living in sub-zero conditions and heavily shelled areas of Eastern Ukraine desperately need food, clean drinking water and medication, according to a survey released today.

We constantly hear the sounds of shelling

HelpAge International staff and volunteers in Ukraine are trying to ensure safety of their loved ones, and support older people, as the Russian invasion continues. Read their experience.

Meeting Ukrainian refugees in Moldova

Tatiana Sorocan, HelpAge International Country Director in Moldova, travelled with colleagues to visit one of the many refugee centres in Moldova that have sprung up overnight.