The event was held in Kyiv and organized by the Platform of Humanitarian NGOs in Ukraine, which we joined at the end of 2025.

This meeting became an important platform where we were able to clearly articulate the needs of Roma communities and highlight our work in supporting the community.

“This is exactly the space where current challenges in Ukraine’s humanitarian sector are discussed and where we look for ways to improve humanitarian response to better support the most vulnerable. It is also a key preparatory step ahead of the Sixth Senior Officials’ Meeting in Brussels, to be held by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), where I will participate at the end of January and represent our organization working with Roma communities in Ukraine,” Anzhelika Bielova shared.

The Kyiv meeting brought together representatives of Ukrainian NGOs, public authorities (including Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk), international organizations, and donors. Participants discussed the key challenges currently facing the humanitarian sector, including limited access to basic services, population displacement, localization of humanitarian response, staff and volunteer well-being, access to occupied territories, and more.

Anzhelika emphasized that Roma communities often remain outside the focus of humanitarian programs, despite being among the most vulnerable.

“Unfortunately, throughout nearly four years of the full-scale war, we have had to fight for our place in partnerships with international humanitarian organizations. At the same time, we are already seeing progress thanks to partners who support our advocacy efforts and the strengthening of our organizational capacity,” she noted.

The discussion also covered urgent challenges people in Ukraine are facing right now, including power outages and the lack of heating and water supply.

“Roma communities are disproportionately affected by these crises. Very often, these are people living below the poverty line who do not have access to information about available assistance. This is why the work of Roma organizations is so critical — we have trust within communities and understand people’s real needs,” Anzhelika stressed.

Another major topic was the sharp reduction in humanitarian funding. The beginning of 2025 became a particularly difficult period for many humanitarian organizations worldwide, as key donors announced sudden and significant funding cuts. As a result, vulnerable people were left without support, organizations lost staff with specialized skills, and remaining teams faced increased workloads. This underscores the importance of long-term, flexible projects that take into account institutional capacity and team development.

According to Anzhelika Bielova, those working in humanitarian response often experience burnout and psychological and emotional exhaustion, making staff well-being a critical issue that must be addressed.

We are grateful to our colleagues from humanitarian organizations for this open dialogue and willingness to listen to one another. Such meetings are essential, as they help build shared understanding on how to work together more effectively and provide meaningful support to people in communities.