A mother and child as they flee Ukraine at the beginning of the war. Millions of families remain displaced as the war reaches its fourth year.

“At that time, we had already started surgery – a Caesarean-section,” recalled a senior doctor in a UNFPA maternity hospital in Kyiv. “But at the beginning of the operation, the electricity went out.”

Attacks like the one Monday night are a reminder of how fragile life is on the frontlines of conflict. 

Right now, women are giving birth in dark, underground bunkers. New mothers are struggling to keep their babies warm in the cold. Pregnant, disabled, and elderly Ukrainians are cut off from essential health services. And, women and girls across the country face skyrocketing violence.

Since the war began, maternal deaths have spiked a shocking 37%.

Frequent blackouts shut down functioning hospitals — cutting power to incubators, surgical suites, and oxygen supplies, exactly when women are going into labor and premature babies need them most.

As we approach the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine later this month, 10.8 million people, including nearly 200,000 pregnant women, remain in dire need of humanitarian aid.

Your gift today can deliver UNFPA Winter Dignity Kits and lifesaving medical supplies across Ukraine, ensuring no woman has to face the cold, or childbirth, alone. Please, will you be there for women and girls this winter?

Thank you for being there for women and girls this winter. 

— USA for UNFPA