Responsible Citizens NGO Completes Annual Humanitarian Aid Project Supported by the UK Government

Responsible Citizens NGO has completed the implementation of the project carried out in partnership with Mercy Corps Ukraine with financial support from the UK Government — “Local, Inclusive and Varied Emergency Support for the population affected by the war in Ukraine (LIVES Extension)”.

The initiative lasted one year and covered residents of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions — regions that are systematically affected by hostilities, forced displacement and infrastructure destruction. During this time, 23,228 people received financial support to cover basic needs: housing, food, medical treatment and restoration of daily life. A key component was multipurpose cash assistance — more than 3,000 people in the communities of Pokrovsk and Kramatorsk districts were able to independently determine their spending priorities and stabilize their situation in conditions of prolonged crisis.

A rapid response mechanism was implemented separately — 672 people received urgent financial support immediately after escalations of the security situation. This approach made it possible to reduce the time between an event and assistance, which is critically important in the first days after the loss of property or access to resources.

From September, the team deployed work at transit centers in Pavlohrad and Lozova. Here, registration of evacuated population arriving from frontline territories was carried out. As a result, 18,684 people received support immediately after displacement — at the moment when uncertainty is highest and needs are most acute.

Additionally, in close interaction with the Cash Working Group and thanks to operational coordination between partners, more than 1,500 people were covered with assistance after shelling. This became possible thanks to coordinated approaches, data sharing and rapid decision-making.

“Implementing a project of this scale is always the result of synergy. Behind the processes stands a large team of specialists. At the same time, partnership with local authorities, humanitarian organizations and coordination platforms that ensure coherence of actions in a complex environment plays a key role,” comments Enrique Menendez, Director of Projects and Programs at Responsible Citizens NGO.

However, the main value is not only in the numbers. Each case is a separate story of a family that was able to evacuate; people who are rebuilding their lives in a new place; those who, despite losses, maintain their dignity and ability to plan for the future. These changes are the true measure of impact. For the organization, this project became a stage of development: technical expertise was strengthened, response mechanisms were improved, and effective solutions for working in conditions of constant risks and changes were developed.