Millions of Ukrainians continue to face severe challenges due to the ongoing war that began on February 24, 2022. Daily bombings and explosions have destroyed homes and critical infrastructure, leaving many people without homes, electricity, heating and basic services. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 12,340 civilians have been killed, and 27,836 injured since the war began. Around 14.6 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, and 10 million people have been forced to flee their homes — 3.5 million seeking shelter within Ukraine, while approximately 6.8 million have become refugees abroad.
As of July 1, 2024, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine reported that more than 144,000 square kilometers of the country’s territory are considered potentially mined. This has made Ukraine one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. Each day of conflict is equivalent to one month of demining work, meaning substantial resources and time are needed to ensure safety in the liberated areas.
DCA-NCA’s help
Since beginning operations in Ukraine in 2022, DCA has reached over 1,000,000 people through different projects. DCA-NCA’s program covers critical sectors such as winter assistance, legal aid, WASH, infrastructure repair, mine action, and psychosocial support, offering both immediate relief and long-term recovery to affected communities. In 2024, DCA and NCA launched a three-year program to further address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. With 165 employees, DCA/NCA works alongside nine partners and has supported over 150 community groups, local initiatives and Ukrainian NGOs.
Key Areas of DCA-NCA Activities in Ukraine
The joint program is currently focused on five key areas, delivering impactful solutions across multiple sectors:
Community-Led Crisis Response
DCA-NCA partners with locally led community groups, initiatives, and organizations, providing flexible small grants to implement grassroots projects across Ukraine. These initiatives address the immediate needs of war-affected communities, including delivering food to vulnerable populations, equipping shelters with essential items for hosting internally displaced people (IDPs), and supporting community-based solutions.
One of the supported initiatives is the organisation Palyanytsya in Chernihiv lead by Victoria:
Humanitarian Mine Action
To address the devastating impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), DCA-NCA conducts humanitarian mine action activities, including surveys, clearance operations, and public awareness campaigns. In partnership with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, DCA-NCA facilitates the safe disposal and demolition of explosives, helping ensure the safety of local communities.
Public awareness campaigns aim to educate communities about the dangers of mines and ERW, reducing injuries and fatalities while enabling the safe return of IDPs and the reconstruction of war-damaged communities. By prioritizing safety and education, DCA-NCA contributes directly to its mission of saving lives.
To the demining program in 2022 joined Anna, who had to leave her native Kharkiv because of the war. Prior to the invasion, Anna and her husband had worked together on their family farm, cultivating tomatoes and grains. When the war escalated, their home became unsafe, and they moved to Mykolaiv in search of safety. Despite the trauma and disruption of their lives, Anna’s determination to contribute to Ukraine’s recovery led her to train as a humanitarian deminer.
I am incredibly proud to be a humanitarian deminer and team leader. We save lives! At first, my husband was afraid for me, but over time, he has become extremely proud of what I do.
Says Anna, a deminer
The humanitarian deminers strictly follow an international standard for their work, with a series of rules and a systematic methodology, which requires education and training before one can work as a deminer. DanChurchAid (DCA) has trained and employed over 100 humanitarian deminers in Mykolaiv.
Protection: Providing Mental Health Support to War-Affected Communities
DCA-NCA is committed to supporting individuals affected by the war in Ukraine through counseling, group sessions, and community-based initiatives. These safe spaces help survivors of trauma, gender-based violence, veterans, and other vulnerable groups process their experiences and rebuild resilience.
In partnership with Ukrainian organizations, DCA-NCA promotes mental health awareness and ensures accessible resources. A key achievement is the opening of a safe space for women and girls in Mykolaiv in November 2024.
Psychological help has been life-changing for Hanna, a resident of Voznesenk who lost her son and daughter early in the war. For nearly two years, financial struggles kept her from seeking support. In January 2024, she attended her first group psychosocial session organized by DCA-NCA. Initially skeptical, Hanna learned breathing techniques and mindfulness to focus on positive memories. After 11 sessions, she now sleeps better, shares her memories openly, and finds strength in confronting her trauma.
“Psychological help is essential. So many people live in fear and hide their pain. We need to talk about it, just like I needed to.”
Shares Hanna from Voznesensk
DCA-NCA’s mental health initiatives are helping war survivors like Hanna find healing and hope for the future.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
DCA-NCA is committed to rebuilding critical infrastructure to support vulnerable communities through harsh winters. In partnership with the Southern Development Strategy (SDS), the organization has focused on restoring basic services like water, heating, and gas in Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts.
One of the most impactful initiatives includes repairing Mykolaiv’s central heating plant, now providing heat to 160,000 residents, alongside efforts to restore gas and water supplies in de-occupied villages.
In Partyzanske, a village in Mykolaiv region, residents lived without gas until March 2024. For 300 returnees, survival depended on firewood and old cast-iron stoves for heating and cooking. For 66-year-old Kateryna, Partyzanske had been home for 38 years before the war forced her to flee. Though she now has a one-room apartment in Mykolaiv, about an hour away, it is no substitute for her home and family.
“I miss living in Partyzanske. I miss the nature. With the return of gas, everything changed — it became easier to stay warm and cook.”
Legal Support
In collaboration with the Ukrainian organization Right to Protection, DCA-NCA provides essential legal support to those impacted by the war in Ukraine. This includes free legal assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and residents of recently de-occupied areas, focusing on legal aid, advocacy, and coordination with local authorities. These services aim to strengthen institutional support for vulnerable populations, helping them navigate the complex legal and bureaucratic challenges posed by the conflict.
Alongside legal support, DCA-NCA’s initiatives offer a comprehensive approach to addressing both immediate and long-term needs. Since 2022, over 27,000 civilians have been injured in the war. Among them is 37-year-old Kateryna, who survived an artillery strike after enduring eight months of occupation and a year near the front lines. She has undergone 40 surgeries and continues her fight for rehabilitation. Thanks to the European Union’s funding, the partnership between DCA-NCA and Right to Protection has been instrumental in providing Kateryna with crucial support, helping her and her family access financial assistance, medical care, and rehabilitation resources, such as an exercise bike for her recovery.
“Without the support, I don’t know how I would navigate these processes. The help is vital for me to get access to medicine, medical assistance, rehabilitation training, financial support, and so on.”
Shares Kateryna
Through this collaboration, over 300 individuals in Mykolaiv have received critical assistance in securing compensation, medical aid, and support in rebuilding their lives. DCA-NCA’s humanitarian mine action teams, funded by the EU, also work tirelessly to clear dangerous unexploded ordnance, creating safer environments for civilians returning to their communities.
These initiatives enable DCA-NCA to support Ukrainians in their recovery, helping them rebuild their lives and restore a sense of safety and dignity. By meeting urgent needs while fostering long-term resilience, we play a vital role in Ukraine’s path toward stability and a brighter future.
