Ukraine Assistance: U.S. Coordinated on a Broad Range of Aid to Displaced Persons and Refugees Amidst Various Challenges
Government Accountability Office07/29/2025
Fast Facts
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022 created a forced migration crisis—with millions of Ukrainians forced to flee and millions more internally displaced within Ukraine.
As of Sept. 2024, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department had provided over $3.75 billion for the Ukraine humanitarian response. USAID and State closely coordinated their assistance for Ukrainian internally displaced persons and refugees. And the agencies had taken steps to coordinate with international partners to provide a broad range of humanitarian assistance—including shelter and water—to them amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Kyiv Apartment Complex Damaged by Missile Attack, July 2024
People walking amongst apartment buildings damaged in a missile attack.
Highlights
What GAO Found
The U.S. contributed to key international strategies to address the needs of Ukrainian internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees between February 2022 and December 2024. The UN-led Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and Ukraine Regional Refugee Response Plan are the primary international strategies that underpin the humanitarian responses inside Ukraine and in refugee hosting countries, according to State and USAID. The U.S. played a consultative role in developing these strategies, including providing feedback on drafts. GAO found that these strategies contain many characteristics of an effective national strategy identified in GAO's prior work, including a clear purpose, goals, and clear responsibilities. However, donor-provided funding fell short of estimated needs despite significant U.S. contributions. For example, in 2024, the refugee response plan received 21 percent of the estimated funding needed to implement it, with the U.S. providing over half of the funding received.
USAID and State provided a broad range of humanitarian assistance to IDPs and refugees between February 2022 and December 2024 amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. USAID and State assistance to IDPs in Ukraine and refugees in surrounding countries included mental health services, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene kits, and legal services. U.S. and partner officials reported challenges in delivering this assistance, such as security concerns near the front lines in Ukraine and shortages of skilled workers.
As of December 2024, USAID and State closely coordinated their humanitarian assistance for Ukrainian IDPs and refugees and had also taken steps to coordinate with international partners. Coordination between USAID and State was guided by a memorandum of understanding between the two agencies. GAO found that the coordination of this humanitarian assistance generally met all eight of GAO-identified leading practices for interagency collaboration, including defining common outcomes and clarifying roles and responsibilities. USAID and State also coordinated their assistance with international partners, primarily through regular meetings of United Nations forums.
Why GAO Did This Study
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 created a forced migration crisis, with millions of Ukrainians forced to flee and millions more internally displaced within Ukraine. As of September 2024, USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration had provided over $3.75 billion in humanitarian assistance for the Ukraine response. Much of this assistance has benefited IDPs and refugees.
GAO initiated this review in response to a provision in Division M of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. GAO's review examines (1) the extent to which the U.S. and its international partners have strategies for addressing the needs of Ukrainian IDPs and refugees; (2) the types of assistance State and USAID have provided and any associated challenges; and (3) the extent to which State and USAID coordinated the implementation of this assistance with each other and international partners. GAO examined assistance provided between February 2022 and December 2024.
GAO analyzed agency documentation; met with USAID and State officials; conducted a site visit to Ukraine, Poland, and Moldova to observe assistance provided and met with officials and beneficiaries from these countries; and reviewed international strategies for humanitarian assistance and supporting documents.
For more information, contact Latesha Love-Grayer at lovegrayerl@gao.gov.