A young mother steps off a train in Dnipro, central Ukraine, holding a small bag and leading her five children. She is fleeing relentless Russian attacks in the Zaporizhzhia region and escaping a violent partner who once beat her so severely that she suffered a miscarriage.
In urgent need of medical care, legal assistance, and a secure place for her children, she is met at the train station by Tetiana, a psychologist who has been working with a mobile psychosocial support team since 2022. “We met her as soon as she arrived,” Tetiana says. “We arranged for medical support, legal assistance, and safe referrals for her and her children.”
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Rising Trauma, Distress, and Domestic Violence
Tetiana is part of one of 87 UNFPA psychosocial support teams that provide emergency interventions, offer long-term assistance, facilitate job training, and connect survivors with legal aid. These services remain essential, as survivors of abuse need support long after escaping immediate danger. After three years of full-scale war in Ukraine, the psychological toll has been devastating.
Since Russia’s invasion, reports of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence have tripled. More than 2.4 million people—primarily women and girls—urgently need violence prevention and response services. “Even after reaching relative safety in Dnipro, many women experience panic attacks, nightmares, and depression,” Tetiana explains.
According to reports, nearly two-thirds of Ukrainian households grapple with severe anxiety, depression, or extreme stress, making it difficult for individuals to work or care for their families. Job losses, financial hardship, the loss of loved ones, and ongoing fears of attacks have only worsened the crisis. Without the right mental health care, trauma may be passed down through generations, deepening the long-term impact on communities.
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Surviving Is Just the Beginning
Roman joined the Dnipro support team as a social worker in April 2022, helping coordinate assistance with social services and aid organizations. “We’ve developed a system to help people stay safe and rebuild their lives,” he says. Frequently, these teams are the first responders to gender-based violence cases—often arriving just after the police. “We’re like an ambulance for victims of domestic violence,” Roman explains.
These interventions are crucial, especially for women who have lost financial stability or housing, as the war has left many vulnerable to exploitation or further abuse.
“Many people assume that once someone survives an initial attack, the danger is over,” Tetiana says. “But true recovery begins only after they are safe. Without psychosocial support, it is incredibly difficult to heal from trauma or prevent further harm.”
In conflict zones, violence against women and girls—including sexual violence—spikes, increasing the demand for protection services. However, displaced women often have nowhere to turn and are afraid of the stigma that comes with reporting abuse. In such cases, the police may contact mobile support teams to arrange emergency housing, counseling, or legal protection.
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Health Workers Under Fire
Providing emergency support in Ukraine is not without risk. Aid workers frequently find themselves in life-threatening situations.
“When we arrive at the scenes of attacks or cases of domestic violence, there’s no time to slow down,” Roman says. “We start working immediately, without processing our own emotions. Only later, when we reflect on the situation, do we realize how difficult it truly was.”
Since February 2022, the World Health Organization has confirmed over 2,200 attacks on healthcare workers, facilities, and services in Ukraine. More than 300 medical centers were targeted in 2024 alone, a threefold increase from the previous year.
Despite the critical nature of their work, response workers also bear the emotional toll of constant violence. “With every new attack, it builds up,” Roman admits. “But in the moment, we focus on what needs to be done. Once the immediate crisis is over, we turn to our own support networks to process everything.”
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The Need for Lasting Support
Since 2022, more than 50 of UNFPA’s mobile psychosocial teams have been funded by the U.S. Government, playing a crucial role in supporting Ukraine’s most vulnerable populations. “City services exist, but they don’t have the reach or immediate impact that our mobile teams provide,” says Tetiana. “Especially in wartime, when waves of displaced people arrive, our work is essential.”
Women form the backbone of Ukraine’s families, economy, and society, yet they have endured severe hardship throughout the war. Ensuring they receive ongoing support is key not only to their personal recovery but also to the country’s long-term resilience.
However, funding for humanitarian efforts is now under threat. If international aid is reduced, 640,000 women and girls
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