The Austrian Red Cross, with funding from the Austrian Development Agency and the Neighbour in Need Foundation and in close partnership with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS), is launching a new project to support conflict-affected communities in Ukraine. The project, titled EMMA – Humanitarian Assistance and Women Empowerment for conflict-affected individuals in Ukraine, runs from April 2025 to June 2026 with a total budget of EUR 1.9 million.
Now in the fourth year of the full-scale armed conflict, 12.7 million people in Ukraine are in need of humanitarian aid. Needs are particularly severe in frontline oblasts such as Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, where infrastructure destruction, displacement, and economic disruption leave families struggling to meet basic needs.
The EMMA project responds with a comprehensive package of assistance across four key areas:
- Hygiene and Sanitation: 3,000 vulnerable individuals will receive tailored hygiene kits adapted to gender, age, and disability-specific needs.
- Shelter and Winterization: 5,680 people will benefit from essential household items and targeted cash assistance to cover heating and utilities during the harsh winter months.
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): 162 URCS staff and volunteers working under high stress will receive structured psychosocial support to strengthen resilience and prevent burnout.
- Women’s Economic Empowerment: 6,000 women will be reached through national awareness campaigns and entrepreneurship outreach. From this group, 50 women entrepreneurs will receive intensive training and coaching through the REDpreneur program (www.redpreneur.org), and 34 will be awarded seed grants to establish sustainable, women-led businesses.
The project places inclusion and protection at its core, prioritizing women, female-headed households, the elderly, people with disabilities, and internally displaced persons. By combining humanitarian assistance with early recovery measures, EMMA not only meets urgent needs but also strengthens long-term resilience and fosters inclusive economic recovery.
“Through EMMA, we are addressing both the immediate humanitarian needs and the long-term recovery prospects of those most affected by the war, with a special focus on women’s empowerment,” says the Austrian Red Cross.
The Austrian Red Cross sincerely thanks the Austrian Development Agency and Neighbour in Need for their continued trust and solidarity. Their generous support enables us to deliver life-saving assistance today while investing in a more resilient and inclusive future for communities in Ukraine.
