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Humanitarian Update: Sumy Region, Ukraine (April-September 2025)
Ukraine is affected by a complex, protracted humanitarian crisis resulting from Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in 2022. The invasion and ongoing aggression have caused massive human casualties and widescale damage to civilian infrastructure, forcing people to flee in search of safety and assistance.
As of September 2025, 5.7 million Ukrainians are living abroad as refugees; another 3.7 million people are internally displaced. The war is disproportionately affecting women and girls, limiting their access to security, livelihoods, education, healthcare, and participation in decisionmaking.
While all of Ukraine is affected by armed hostilities, Ukrainian communities in the regions bordering Russia experience the brunt of the aggression and elevated severity of humanitarian needs.7 The people of Sumy region are among some of the most affected in Ukraine due to the oblast’s geographical position along the border with Russia and proximity to the Kursk oblast in Russia, where the two militaries are engaged in fierce fighting for control of parts of the territory. Fighting has intensified through the summer and into September as Russia seeks to establish a buffer zone in northern Ukraine along the international border.
This Humanitarian Update on Sumy Region describes the Humanitarian needs and priorities of women and girls, UN Women’s humanitarian response activities, and coordination and partnership efforts through GIHA Working Group, Government, UN, NGOs and INGOs.
Bibliographic information
Geographic coverage:
Europe and Central Asia
Ukraine
Subject areas:
Humanitarian action
Resource type(s):
Annual reports
Publication year
2025
Publishing entity/ies:
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)