When Humanitarian Aid is More than Aid

Like thousands of others living in and around Washington, I watch federal budget numbers closely. In my line of work, I focus on funding for the UN’s operations around the world—aka “non-defense spending.” I’ve been at this for the better part of two decades, but it took a trip to a war zone to appreciate the true scope of humanitarian aid.?

I recently traveled with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency , to Ukraine, Moldova, and Poland to see conditions on the ground after two years of war. Our group included former U.S. government officials and representatives from NGOs. Several days after we arrived, Russia launched one of the largest missile attacks in months across six Ukrainian regions. While we sheltered in a bunker in eastern Ukraine, missiles leveled an apartment complex in Kyiv, killing four and leaving an estimated 450 people homeless. UNHCR and USAID were on the scene in less than 24 hours, providing food, emergency shelter and psychological support.?

We visited the northeastern city of Kharkiv, about 20 miles from the Russian border—a site of regular bombardment. Above ground schools are too dangerous, so the local government established the world’s first network of “subway schools” equipped with classrooms, bathrooms, communication networks and video surveillance to help children continue their education. With UHNCR’s assistance, the project was completed in ten weeks. So far, over 2,100 children have been enrolled in 27 such centers.?

We saw shelters where elderly Ukrainians and the disabled were housed, sites where food was distributed along with necessities like blankets and clothing. As we traveled between sites—past mountains of rubble where buildings once stood—it became increasingly clear that humanitarian assistance was more than aid.?

It was psychological sustenance, a symbol that others stood with the Ukrainians, despite Russia’s seemingly endless appetite for war. Humanitarian assistance meant that others understood the sacrifice. If sustaining a war-ravaged population is a moral and strategic priority, humanitarian aid is as important as ammunition. As delegation participant Richard Fontaine said, “War is a battle of wills. If you want to break Ukraine faster than Putin ever could, cut humanitarian aid.”?

Humanitarian aid matters for countries surrounding Ukraine, too. When the war started, the small land-locked country of Moldova, south of Ukraine, received an immediate wave of refugees. (More than a million people have crossed into Moldova in two years, with 100,000 remaining.) U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Kent Logsdon explained that when humanitarian aid arrived for the refugees streaming into their country, Moldovans gathered in the city square, chanting, “We are not alone! We are not alone!”?

Two years later, I felt the gratitude firsthand. Throughout our visit, citizens from Ukraine, Moldova and Poland never missed an opportunity to thank the U.S. and the UN for standing with them.?

But our partners there are watching Congressional budget debates here with alarm. They fear that U.S. resolve is cracking. They know Congress may eliminate the humanitarian portion of the emergency supplemental bill and slash State Department, USAID and UN funding in the FY 2024 agreement for international affairs programs.?

Russia alone chose this war. The rest of us are living with the consequences. Russia has stripped Ukrainians of their lives, their communities, their homes and often their livelihoods. The U.S. and other countries were right to counter Russia’s vicious attacks then. We can’t allow Russia to rob Ukrainians of their resolve and resilience now.?

The solution is to convey our solidarity—manifestly in U.S. national interest—to support humanitarian aid as part of the national security emergency supplemental package, oppose corresponding cuts and pass a final FY 24 spending agreement that protects funding for the UN and International Affairs Budget.?

Early in our trip, after the missile attacks, we met Ludmila, a 57-year-old woman who was evacuated from her home in eastern Ukraine two years earlier. She didn’t know when or if she would return.

She made only one request: “Please show us that we are not alone.”?

Jordie Hannum is the Executive Director of the Better World Campaign.

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