Delivering humanitarian aid in Ukraine’s highly politicised environment poses unique challenges to core principles of Independence, Impartiality, Neutrality, and Humanity. Compromises made under pressure—often undocumented—risk undermining the effectiveness of current and future responses, not only in Ukraine but globally.

This research aims to address how stakeholders (donors, UN agencies, national and international NGOs) operationalise the humanitarian principles in Ukraine. By examining dilemmas, compromises, and decision-making processes, the study will generate actionable recommendations to strengthen principled action and accountability. Building on similar research in Yemen, Iraq, Sudan and Afghanistan, the findings will inform both Ukraine’s humanitarian coordination and global policy discussions.

Key questions guiding this work include:

How are humanitarian principles operationalized in funding, coordination, and aid delivery across Ukraine?

What challenges do national and international actors face in maintaining principled responses?

How do short-term compromises impact long-term humanitarian outcomes?

What lessons from other contexts (e.g., Yemen, Afghanistan) can guide Ukraine’s response?