Supporting Women in Sumy: How Collaboration Between UN Women, Civil Society, and Local Authorities Strengthens Humanitarian Response
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On 13 April 2025, a Russian missile strike devastated the center of Sumy, a frontline city located 20 kilometers from the border. The attack killed 34 civilians – including children – and injured more than 100. Residential buildings, an educational facility, and public transport were damaged, leaving families displaced and the community in shock.
As a result of intensified shelling in April 2025 in Sumy city and the surrounding region, the City Council identified more than 25,000 people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance – the majority being women and elderly people, including over 10,000 internally displaced persons.
To respond to this attack, in April 2025 UN Women launched an emergency response project in Sumy city and Sumy Region to address the needs of women and girls impacted by the attack, as part of broader efforts responding to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The project, titled "Enhancing the safety, security, and mental health of women and girls, as well as advancing their human rights," is implemented by UN Women Ukraine in partnership with NGO Girls.
Within this project, UN Women in Ukraine and NGO Girls have been providing psychological support, distribution of customized dignity kits, and individual cash assistance. Additionally, seven women’s rights organizations that deliver humanitarian assistance in Sumy Oblast received psychosocial support for their staff to promote wellbeing, prevent burnout, and enhance professional sustainability.
The project is financially supported by the Governments of Sweden, Denmark, and Latvia, the UN Women National Committees. The project also receives support from UN Women through the Emergency Funding Mechanism (EFM) – a flexible, replenishable, revolving fund that allows resources to be rapidly allocated in the immediate aftermath of sudden-onset crises or peaks in protracted crises.
UN Women and NGO Girls representatives meeting in Sumy with local and regional authorities, including Nadiia Stepanenko, Sumy Regional Military Administration; Tetiana Myronenko, Ombudsperson’s Office; and Tetiana Masik, Sumy City Council. August 2025. Photo: UN Women/Denys Kryvopyshyn
Civil Society at the Frontline: NGO Girls
After the attack in April 2025, UN Women Ukraine convened an emergency consultation with women’s organizations through Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group (GiHA WG) to coordinate a localized response. Participants highlighted the need for in-person mental health and psychosocial support, emergency cash assistance, particularly for women and children.
Soon afterwards, UN Women began implementing the project with the local branch of NGO Girls, which has already been operating in Sumy for several years.
"At this meeting, as representatives of the civil society sector, we shared exactly what women and girls need. There was a huge demand from local women and girls for face-to-face psychological consultations. Many had lost loved ones and their homes were damaged. With this project, we are happy to support local women and girls from Sumy and the region," says Maryna Velitchenko, project manager at NGO Girls.
Maryna Velitchenko, Project Manager at NGO Girls, at their office in Sumy. August 2025. Photo: UN Women/Denys Kryvopyshyn
Speaking about the implementation of this project since April 2025, Maryna recalls one case that particularly stood out for her: "A woman approached us whose apartment had been destroyed. Initially, she only needed help with temporary accommodation. But then a guided aviation bomb hit the city, and her husband was killed. Through the project, we supported her with individual protection cash assistance so she could rent housing. Yet the repeated tragedy meant she also needed psychological support. This case shows that support must be continuous, not one-off."
Cases like this are unfortunately not rare. Since the project’s launch, more than 500 women and girls from Sumy city and the surrounding region have taken part in psychosocial support activities, over 1,500 dignity kits have been distributed, and 100 women have received individual protection cash assistance. In addition, seven local women’s rights organizations benefitted from duty of care initiatives, which provided mental health support to help their staff cope with stress and trauma while continuing to serve others.
The Role of Local Authorities
The project’s launch would not have been possible without collaboration with local authorities.
"When this project started in spring, we were invited to participate and provide information about those in need of humanitarian assistance. We actively collaborated with NGO Girls and referred our residents to receive support," says Tetyana Lavryk, Head of the Department for Humanitarian Affairs at the Social Protection Department of the Sumy City Council.
According to Tetyana, the work of UN Women and NGO Girls in Sumy is extremely important. The needs of affected populations, especially women and girls, are immense. National and municipal authorities cannot meet all these needs.
Tetyana Lavryk, Head of the Department for Humanitarian Affairs, Social Protection Department of the Sumy City Council, at the NGO Girls office in Sumy. August 2025. Photo: UN Women/Denys Kryvopyshyn
"Collaboration with civil society and international organizations helps our people recover. The presence of UN Women and other international organizations in our community is not just about humanitarian aid – it is about feeling supported, about not facing the war alone. It ensures that everyone, including women and girls, can feel safe," Lavryk emphasizes.
UN Women and NGO Girls representatives meeting in Sumy with local and regional authorities, including Nadiia Stepanenko, Sumy Regional Military Administration; Tetiana Myronenko, Ombudsperson’s Office; and Tetiana Masik, Sumy City Council. August 2025. Photo: UN Women/Denys Kryvopyshyn
The Need for Sustained Funding
While immediate aid is essential, long-term funding is crucial. Humanitarian projects like the current one provide vital relief, but continuous support is required for women and girls in need.
Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine, said: "Since the start of the large-scale aggression in 2022, women have often taken the lead in meeting the needs of their communities. Women's rights organizations have stepped in to provide crucial support, yet their funding remains very limited, both here in Sumy and across Ukraine. Despite this they continue to deliver essential support at the local level and they know the specific needs of women and girls in the most war-impacted areas. That is why it is so important to strengthen these organizations particularly in the frontline areas, such as Sumy."
Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine, meeting with women leaders, self-help group members, and a community mobilizer in Romny, Sumy region. August 2025. Photo: UN Women/Denys Kryvopyshyn.
Continuous support for women’s organizations is not optional but essential.
Maryna Velitchenko, project manager at NGO Girls, adds: "Women's organizations must be supported continuously. Humanitarian aid is often short-term, while needs are growing. Women need long-term support – the war is far from over."
Sustained aid also ensures that local authorities can complement their efforts effectively.
Tetyana Lavryk from the Sumy City Council emphasizes: "The municipal budget cannot always cover all the needs of residents. With the ongoing rise in internally displaced persons, support from international organizations, particularly UN Women, is crucial. People need everything. The number of attacks and damaged homes has increased, cash assistance is essential for housing recovery, many people have been injured in explosions and shelling, and they need psychological support."
Looking Ahead: Strengthening Support for Women and Girls
The Sumy project demonstrates how coordinated action between UN Women, civil society, and local authorities can ensure effective humanitarian support for women and girls.
Yet the situation remains fragile. Rising security risks, displacement, and unmet needs underline the urgency of sustained financial support for women’s organizations. As of now, Sumy city hosts over 35,000 IDPs, and across Sumy Oblast, more than 100,000 IDPs require assistance, highlighting the scale of challenges faced – most of them women and girls.
Investing in long-term funding means more than aid – it helps women and girls in Ukraine’s most vulnerable areas gain strength, security, and the opportunity to shape their own futures.
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“Enhancing the safety, security, and mental health of women and girls, as well as advancing their human rights" project is implemented by UN Women Ukraine in partnership with NGO Girls.
It is financially supported by the Governments of Sweden, Denmark, and Latvia, the UN Women National Committees.
The project also receives support from UN Women through the Emergency Funding Mechanism (EFM) – a flexible, replenishable, revolving fund that allows resources to be rapidly allocated in the immediate aftermath of sudden-onset crises or peaks in protracted crises.