Kyiv, Ukraine, 20 February 2026 – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, today urged sustained international solidarity and stronger support for Ukrainians awaiting much-needed peace.
HC Salih travelled to Ukraine as the full-scale invasion enters its fifth year with intensified attacks during the harshest winter of war so far. Repeated Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have left millions without electricity and heating in freezing temperatures, while escalating hostilities along the front line continue to force people to flee their homes.
“I’ve come to Ukraine in this dark hour to show solidarity with its people, to see how UNHCR is contributing to the government-led efforts, and to reaffirm our commitment to stand with Ukraine at this difficult time and beyond,” he said, concluding his first visit to the country. “Nothing can compensate the losses in this war, and the many lives lost, but we can help Ukraine and its people recover and rebuild.”
This Press Release is available here
Over several days in Kyiv and front-line cities – Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv – UNHCR’s chief met families whose homes had been damaged by glide bombs and missiles and people recently evacuated from front-line communities. He observed UNHCR’s emergency assistance after strikes and in transit centres for displaced people; legal aid for those who lost documents to ensure their access to rights and services; and work to repair war-damaged houses to allow people to remain in their homes or return.
“The destruction I have witnessed is immense, and the personal stories of loss and hardship are heart-wrenching. Despite this, Ukrainians continue to show extraordinary courage, compassion and hope. Their strength should compel all of us to action – to protect lives now, to support them in the vital rebuilding that is already underway, and to work tirelessly for a just and lasting peace,” HC Salih said.
The High Commissioner met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksii Kuleba; Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha; Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity, Denys Uliutin; Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets; and local and regional officials.
In addition, he met UNHCR’s strong network of Ukrainian partners, community representatives, other UN agencies and the diplomatic community. He reconfirmed UNHCR’s commitment to deliver life-saving emergency support, contribute to the recovery work and pursue long-term solutions for the nearly 3.7 million displaced within the country.
Since the first days of the war, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, scaled up its presence and response inside Ukraine and in countries generously hosting close to 5.9 million refugees.
Over the past four years, complementing the efforts of the authorities, UNHCR and its partners have reached close to 10 million people in Ukraine with assistance. In 2026, the agency is appealing for $470 million to support over 2 million people in line with the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan priorities. UNHCR is grateful for the donor support it has already received.
For more information on this topic, please contact:
In Ukraine: Elisabeth Haslund, haslund@unhcr.org, +380 95 239 0072
In Geneva (regional): Eleni Biza, biza@unhcr.org, +41 78 337 8082
In Geneva: Matthew Saltmarsh, saltmars@unhcr.org, +41 79 967 99 36
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