Useful information for people affected by the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine
We know that your current situation is incredibly dangerous and distressing for you and your loved ones. You are not alone. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and other partners are doing their best to help you.
Despite the difficult security conditions, our teams are working around the clock to help as many people as possible. Please remember all services provided by humanitarian organizations are free of charge.
Many families are contacting us about their missing loved ones. Due to the high volume of requests, it is taking longer for us to respond to requests than expected. If you have already sent an email or left a message, please rest assured that we will contact you as soon as possible.
This page will be updated frequently as the crisis evolves. Latest update: 18 March 2025.
How can I contact the Red Cross?
To contact the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) call:
In Ukraine - The ICRC Community Contact Centre can be reached toll-free at 0 800 300 155.
Operating hours: Monday to Friday, 9am – 1pm and 2pm – 5pm (Ukraine Time). Closed on weekends and Ukrainian public holidays. Due to high call volumes, there may be delays, but our team is doing its best to assist everyone. You may also write us an email at KYI_kyivhotlinemailbox@icrc.org or fill our online form.
In Russia - 8 800 600 92 69 (free of charge) or +7 495 626 54 26 (charges apply).
In Ukraine, you can contact the Ukrainian Red Cross Society at 0 800 332 656.
In Russia, you can contact the Russian Red Cross at 8 800 234 07 07.
How can the ICRC help me?
Since 2014, we have been providing emergency assistance such as food, water, medicine, and other essential items. We also support hospitals and primary healthcare facilities with medical equipment and emergency preparedness. We repair water stations and support households to rehabilitate their damaged homes. We also help families separated by the armed conflict reconnect.
If you need support in relation to the armed conflict, you can contact us via our hotlines provided above to share more details about your situation.
How can you help me find a family member?
If you have lost contact with a family member and would like to open a tracing request:
You can fill in our online form to begin.
• Контактний формуляр (Ukrainian)
• Контактная форма (Russian)
• Contact form (English)
In Ukraine, you can call us toll-free at +380 800 300 155. In Russia, you can call us at 8 800 600 92 69 (toll-free) or +7 495 626 54 26 (charges may apply).
You can also contact your closest Red Cross Society
• If you are in Hungary: call 1 374 1305 or email tracing@redcross.hu
• If you are in Poland: call 22 326 12 64, 22 326 12 61 or email tracing.service@pck.pl
• If you are in Romania: call 21 317 17 18 or email crr@crucearosie.ro
• For more countries, you can find addresses and contact details on our Family Links website.
Please note that all of our services are free.
Can you help me leave or evacuate someone from Ukraine?
We understand the fear and uncertainty you might be feeling about what the future holds. We hope you can stay safe until the situation improves.
Since the escalation of the crisis, we have helped facilitate the safe passage of civilians from Sumy and Mariupol to other locations in Ukraine. On all occasions, people willingly took buses leading them to another Ukrainian location.
We are in constant dialogue with the parties to the armed conflict to facilitate more safe passages for civilians that are voluntary, and based on well-informed consent.
To know when future evacuations might happen, we suggest you keep listening to announcements from your city administration in this regard.
If you are leaving Ukraine, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has the following hotline numbers: 527 (free from mobile phones) and 0 800 505 501 (free from mobile and fixed phones). You can learn more about IOM services here.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also has information and guidance in neighbouring countries such as Poland, Hungary, Moldova and Romania. You can find more information about UNHCR services here.
In Russia, you can contact the Russian Red Cross for questions about humanitarian assistance for migrants, legal residence status, and access to medical services. You can call 8 800 234 07 07.
These are some preventive measures you can take when leaving your home to find shelter elsewhere:
• In a secure and protective bag keep a copy of your national identity card, passport, family certificates, birth certificate, insurance documents, property documents, etc. If possible, keep digital copies as well.
• Help children memorize their personal information such as their full names, parents' names, and parents' contacts. Make sure each child carries this information with them on a piece of paper.
I need mental health support
We are very sorry to know that you are experiencing distress and that it's been difficult to cope with the crisis.
Our partners of the Ukrainian Red Cross are doing their best to provide psychosocial support. Their hotline is 0 800 333 161. They are currently receiving a large number of calls. Thank you for your patience.
In Russia, the Russian Red Cross has the hotline 8 800 234 07 07.
We can encourage you to follow these prevention recommendations while you get the direct support your need:
• Acknowledge your feelings: Accept the level of distress or uncertainty you and those around you may feel at the moment.
• Be mindful of your news consumption: Being overexposed to news may be repetitively triggering you.
• Find hope in what you can do: There's a lot that you cannot control, but positive action can be an outlet to your feelings. Whether by helping or being kind to others, every act of kindness is significant.
• Reach out for help: Be kind enough to yourself to reach out for professional help if your feelings of worry start to impact your daily life, especially if you felt vulnerable before the crisis.
What can I do if there is fighting?
• If there is fighting and shelling, crawl to safety. Stay in a basement or lower ground. Stay as far as possible from windows.
• Lie down, wrap your arms around your head, and cover your ears.
• Open your mouth to avoid internal injuries, it can reduce the impact of the explosive wave on your body. Wait until the shooting is over before you move to a safer shelter.
• Don't touch unfamiliar objects. Things that may look harmless could potentially be explosive.
• Call 101 to report an explosive hazard.
How can I get medical aid?
The emergency line in Russia and Ukraine is 112.
If someone is injured, here is what you can do to assist with first aid while more help arrives:
• Using a clean piece of cloth: Ask the injured person, or proceed yourself, to press directly with the cloth on the wound.
• Swap out physical pressure with a compressive bandage and wrap it around the wound.
• If you notice any of the following signs, loosen the bandage immediately: Any swelling or cyanosis (skin going blue) around the wound. You must loosen the band.
• If blood continues to leak through the bandage: Roll an additional bandage or clean cloth over the first bandage you applied.
Where can I find shelter?
If you are trying to find shelter in Ukraine, State authorities can provide you with information on availability and updates. Find here more information.
In neighbouring countries such as Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, or Russia, our partners of the national Red Cross are providing support.
Volunteers and staff of the Red Cross are providing shelter, basic aid items, and medical supplies. They are also ready to provide first aid and psychosocial support when needed. You can find specific contact information in this directory.
How can I share my opinion about a service the Red Cross provided?
It is very important for us to hear your feedback about the work we are doing. We invite you to use the communication channel more convenient for you to do so.
If you are inside Ukraine, you can call or leave us a message at 0 800 300 155.
You can also send us a private message on our Ukrainian Facebook page.
I think I saw fake news about the Red Cross
We understand that you may feel overwhelmed by all the information you're receiving and that it may be difficult to distinguish facts from false information. When in doubt, we invite you to verify the sources of that information before sharing it with others.
If you saw something in the news that looked suspicious about the services the Red Cross is providing during the current crisis in Ukraine, please tag us in a comment with @ICRC on Twitter.
Learn more in this ICRC article to debunk false information.
Remember that all services provided by humanitarian organisations are free of charge.
We are committed to treating you with respect and dignity
All of the services provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are free.
It is forbidden for ICRC employees to ask for money, sex, or any type of favors in exchange for help. Please reach out if you have problems or feedback about our services and the behavior of our staff.
You have the right to report cases of misconduct or wrongdoing by the ICRC. You can send us an email to code_of_conduct@icrc.org.
If you are in Ukraine, call us at 0 800 300 155.
You can also report it directly in the ICRC Integrity Line (available in English, French and Spanish). The information you give will remain confidential. Making a complaint will not affect the ICRC's work in your community.
