Germany stands firm: Continued support for disability-inclusive action in Ukraine

Germany reaffirms its commitment to disability-inclusive humanitarian support in Ukraine with extended funding for the Empower Ukraine initiative. This program aims to assist at-risk populations, particularly persons with disabilities, by providing essential services, medical care, and advocacy for inclusive recovery amidst ongoing challenges from the war.

Daria Razenko, a 29-year-old mother from Luhansk, lost her home twice due to the war. She faced occupation, displacement, and trauma. Her child was born with a visual impairment, and consistent treatment was nearly impossible. Through Empower Ukraine, Daria received support that helped her rebuild her life in Ivano-Frankivsk.<br/>Daria shared, “Despite everything, I don’t lose faith. My child deserves a future, and thanks to this project, we are finally seeing hope again.”
Daria Razenko, a 29-year-old mother from Luhansk, lost her home twice due to the war. She faced occupation, displacement, and trauma. Her child was born with a visual impairment, and consistent treatment was nearly impossible. Through Empower Ukraine, Daria received support that helped her rebuild her life in Ivano-Frankivsk. Daria shared, “Despite everything, I don’t lose faith. My child deserves a future, and thanks to this project, we are finally seeing hope again.”

The German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), in partnership with Christian Blind Mission (CBM), has extended funding for the Empower Ukraine initiative through to mid-2026. This decision reaffirms Germany’s commitment to supporting at-risk populations in Ukraine—particularly persons with disabilities—amid ongoing humanitarian challenges caused by Russia’s war of aggression.

Larysa Bayda, Project Manager at the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities (NAPD), said:

“The Empower Ukraine initiative has helped thousands of persons with disabilities regain independence and access essential services in remote villages and cities, to provide targeted support to the vulnerable among the vulnerable. Continued funding means we can deepen our reach and strengthen our advocacy for inclusive recovery.”

David Davtyan, Project Manager at League of the Strong (LoS), added:

“In communities across Ukraine, Empower Ukraine has become a lifeline. From transportation to medical care to assistive devices, we are seeing real change. We effect real change for people, but also at the municipal and national level.”

This programme is led by organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and reaches what is often called “the last mile”—people living in remote rural areas with little or no access to conventional humanitarian support.

“Empower Ukraine is a commitment to dignity, inclusion, and resilience. We are proud to continue working with our Ukrainian partners to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind,” said Till Küster, Interim Director Inclusive Humanitarian Action, at CBM.

In Ukraine, many persons with disabilities remain stranded in their homes due to inaccessible roads and transport to shops, workplaces, and schools. This project identifies and supports these individuals with cash assistance, assistive devices, mental health support, transport to healthcare, and training to improve daily living.

Gunta Anca, Vice-President at European Disability Forum (EDF) says, “This extension is a recognition of the impact our joint efforts have had. Empower Ukraine is a model for inclusive humanitarian action, and we are grateful to GFFO and CBM for their continued trust.”

With nearly half a million Euros in additional funding, the extended programme will continue delivering inclusive humanitarian assistance across six regions of Ukraine.

Anita Ohl-Meyer, Head of Humanitarian Assistance at GFFO, explains: “In Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, it is often the most vulnerable people who suffer the most, yet remain the most silent. In the overcrowded collective centres for internally displaced people, we can see that at least half of the refugees are 60+ years old, and more than a quarter of the inhabitants have disabilities.

We are glad to have CBM and their local partners at our side. They support these vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities and older people, even during the most difficult times.”

Humanitarian actors must urgently scale up assistance in western Ukraine, not just in frontline areas in the east. According to the recent FSLC “Evacuation Updates and Transit Centres” report, there is a steady upward trend in the number of people being evacuated westward via organised routes, such as evacuation trains. According to the FSLC October meeting Minutes, this is increasing the livelihood needs in safer territories where large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are now congregating but receiving less humanitarian action.

 These transit flows reflect a pronounced shift: evacuees are not simply passing through but increasingly relocating to western oblasts, where they accumulate in collective sites and transit centres. Despite this, humanitarian funding and programmatic presence in the West remain disproportionately low, even though these regions are absorbing a growing caseload of highly vulnerable individuals — including older people, persons with limited mobility, and those with chronic medical needs.

According to the Protection Cluster Ukraine Report, failing to increase support in western Ukraine undermines both protection and crisis response objectives. Many newly arriving evacuees require immediate humanitarian assistance—not just shelter, but also protection, psychosocial support, case management, and access to basic services. Specifically, the Protection Report states, “Partners have raised concern about closing programming in western and central Ukraine, given the continued displacement of people from frontline areas to safer oblasts, including oblasts in the West and Centre, and the fact that over 3.7M people continue to be displaced. Survivors of violence more commonly reach out for support when they reach safety and feel secure. De-Prioritising “safer” locations for lifesaving GBV humanitarian responses in the West and Centre does not meet the need to contextualise services centred toward survivors of violence.”

By reinforcing the humanitarian footprint in western Ukraine — scaling multisectoral capacity, strengthening site management, and ensuring predictable funding — donors and partners can ensure that those displaced are not left behind simply because they moved away from the frontlines. This is critical to uphold the principles of humanitarian equity, meet rising transit and settlement trends, and bridge the gap between evacuation and durable support.

This programme is implemented by the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities (NAPD), and the League of the Strong (LoS) in collaboration with the European Disability Forum (EDF) and CBM. The programme focuses on internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, veterans, older people, and single-headed households—both with and without disabilities.

Learn more about the project