February 19, 2026
Press release
The fourth year of the war has shown how extraordinarily demanding it is for Ukraine to rebuild everyday life. For this country under attack, Caritas Czech Republic remains a committed partner, continuing to strengthen its support. We operate directly in areas near the front line, and we also assist those who have sought refuge in other parts of Ukraine or in the Czech Republic. Over the past four years, the public fundraising campaign Caritas for Ukraine has raised 185.7 million Czech crowns. In 2025 alone, Caritas supported 88,612 refugees in the Czech Republic, and tens of thousands of people in Ukraine.
We continue to provide assistance
Donors contributed a total of CZK 185.715 million to the Caritas for Ukraine fundraising account (55660022/0800, Reference Number: 104). In 2022, donations accounted for CZK 163.151 million; in 2023, CZK 10.536 million; in 2024, CZK 6.082 million; and in 2025, CZK 5.946 million. In addition, a church collection held in 2022 raised CZK 30.256 million. Some local Caritas organisations also use their own fundraising accounts and donations from their contributors.
In 2025, CZK 94.671 million was allocated to assistance for Ukraine. Funding was drawn from institutional donors, the Caritas for Ukraine fundraising campaign, and local Caritas organisations (Olomouc, Ostrava and Znojmo).
We know that assistance is still required, and we stand by people in need. Thanks to the dedication of our staff and volunteers, as well as cooperation with partner organisations in the Czech Republic, Ukraine and other countries, we are able to ensure that support and care reach those who need it most — whether directly in Ukraine or while assisting people as they adapt to life in the Czech Republic. We thank everyone who supports our work,
says Lukáš Curylo, Director of Caritas Czech Republic.
Caritas’ assistance in Ukraine
Last year, Caritas Czech Republic operated in six regions, including areas near the front line. We focus on healthcare, mental health support, education, and the delivery of humanitarian assistance in both urban and rural areas.
Over the past year (2025), in cooperation with institutional donors, Czech and local partners, as well as donors to the Caritas for Ukraine fundraising campaign, we:
- Renovated and equipped six rehabilitation departments in hospitals in the Dnipropetrovsk region. We provided high-tech equipment, including technologies supporting the restoration of physical and cognitive functions.
- Joined the Ukrainian national programme “How are you?” and contributed to the establishment of five mental health centres across four regions, where adults and children receive free mental health support.
- Provided healthcare for 1,500 residents in the Kherson region by establishing modular medical centres.
- Supplied solid fuel to 740 households near the front line in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
- Built five safe education centres in Nikopol and Mykolaivka for local children to visit.
- Delivered hundreds of tutoring lessons to children studying near the front line who had missed out on school due to frequent attacks.
- Repaired and equipped accommodation centres for internally displaced persons who were forced to leave their homes.
Evžen Diviš, Regional Manager for Ukraine, Moldova and the Middle East, adds:
In recent weeks we have also responded to the situation in Kyiv, where people are freezing due to attacks on energy infrastructure. We have delivered generators, mattresses and other equipment to community centres. Support for Ukraine must continue and must not be weakened by the budget cuts currently being discussed, because people in Ukraine need it more than ever.
Photo: Evžen Diviš during a press conference of humanitarian organisations that are operating in Ukraine and in the Czech Republic (2026)
Regional Caritas Organisations also help:
Archdiocesan Caritas Olomouc
In 2025, we supported projects worth approximately CZK 3.7 million. Assistance focused both on long-term activities and on urgent humanitarian needs in – and beyond – the areas affected by the war in Ukraine.
summarises Robert Neugebauer, Director of Archdiocesan Caritas Olomouc.
Key activities included support for young people during their studies in high school, psychosocial and legal assistance for individuals and families affected by the conflict, support for families of fallen soldiers, and the operation of social centres for children. Important projects also included Fill the Plate, which helped provide food to families in difficult social situations, and the Christmas Package initiative, which for the seventeenth year brought gifts to hundreds of Ukrainian children.
A significant portion of the funds was directed to eastern Ukraine, supporting projects that ensured access to drinking water, installing filtration stations and water wells. Assistance also covered education support, housing support, social services, psychological care, and even the provision of basic necessities in extremely difficult conditions.
Diocesan Caritas Ostrava-Opava
During the last year (2025) in Ukraine, we implemented projects and provided assistance worth CZK 6.541 million,
says Miroslav Hodeček, Head of the Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation Centre in Ostrava.
Diocesan Caritas Ostrava-Opava has been working in Ukraine since 1998, focusing primarily on supporting children and older people. Since 2022, assistance has significantly intensified. “In eastern Ukraine, we focus on distributing food, hygiene supplies and medical materials to areas cut off from services and goods, as well as on evacuating people from combat zones. Every year, we also organise a Saint Nicholas gift distribution, which brings both joy and practical assistance”, explains Miroslav Hodeček.
More information here: www.adoptujsi.cz
Regional Caritas Znojmo
Regional Caritas Znojmo provided the largest share of its financial and material assistance in Zolochiv to Father Sergej, Director of Caritas, who established a new “Point of Invincibility” in Verkhnyodniprovsk. This centre offers hot meals, non-perishable food, medicine, hygiene products, laundry facilities and care services to people affected by the war. It also organises weekend activities for children, operates a kindergarten, and supports internally displaced persons. A key role is played by local volunteers, and psychological support is also available.
The organisation also supports other partners: in Lviv, care services and a day centre for people with disabilities; in Zolochiv, care services and support for displaced families, for whom they fund children’s medical treatment. In 2025, two vehicles for care services were delivered here. In Mukachevo and Perechyn, assistance covers medical treatment for children and support for families living in poverty. In Uzhhorod, support is provided to a halfway house. In 2025, the total financial assistance was CZK 3,065,200, with an additional CZK 753,000 of material aid delivered to Ukraine.
Support for Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic
Photo: The community centre of Diocesan Caritas Pilsen: a safe space of support and integration for Ukrainians
Since the beginning of the war in 2022, nearly 770,000 refugees from Ukraine have been registered in the Czech Republic, with 398,000 still residing in the country. Each week, an additional1,000–1,500 people arrive. From the outset, Caritas Czech Republic has been involved in the national support system and has provided comprehensive assistance to newly arrived and long-term residents — particularly to people with disabilities, mothers with children, seniors, and others in vulnerable situations. Core services include professional social and legal counselling, interpretation support, and assistance with housing, employment, or school enrolment for children. Caritas also provides food and material assistance.
Supporting Ukrainians who had to flee the war is an effort professionally carried out by both Caritas Czech Republic and a number of local Caritas organisations. Greek Catholic Church provides assistance on a voluntary basis. In total, Caritas supported 88,612 refugees in the Czech Republic in 2025. Services are funded through public and church collections, donations, state subsidiesand European funds.
Support is delivered through a network of eight counselling centres located in Brno, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové, Litoměřice, Olomouc, Ostrava, Pilsen and Prague. In particular, refugeesare provided with:
- counselling services (basic, specialised social and legal counselling);
- accompaniment to the authorities and assistance with administrative procedures;
- support in finding accommodation and employment, and assistance with school enrolment;
- individual food and material assistance.
Additional support is provided through four community centres (Litoměřice, Olomouc, Pilsen and Prague) and one integration centre (Hradec Králové), which offer, for example, Czech language courses, socio-cultural orientation, leisure activities, psychological support, and multicultural programmes that strengthen integration.
Integration Helpline, Advocacy and International Cooperation
An integration helpline also remains available, providing information, interpretation and psychosocial support. It operates every weekday at +420 731 432 431 and via email at ukrajina.info@charita.cz.
We are also actively engaged in advocacy and awareness-raising. We participate in working groups focused on the integration of Ukrainian refugees, and we take part in expert meetings, conferences and public debates. We work closely with Caritas organisations across Europe and have published a joint report containing recommendations for European institutions, governments and civil society.
The report outlines the main ways in which we provide assistance. It is often difficult to precisely quantify the support, because in solidarity-based assistance record-keeping is not the primary focus.
Thanks to our connections with parishes, volunteers and communities, we are able not only to provide targeted support but also to inspire others. From my experience, people we support during difficult life situations often wish to give back by supporting others. This mutual solidarity is also reflected in fundraising initiatives and activities directed back to Ukraine, which we coordinate
explains Natálie Slivocká, Director of Greek Catholic Caritas, in which Ukrainians living in the Czech Republic are a key part of the workforce.
Kontakt pro média:
Zuzana Haniková
International Communications Manager, Caritas Czech Republic
e-mail: gnMk4Z2%Wgvu5f56LTprRb~lW5pJ tel. +420 737 740 857
Klára Boumová
Manager for Advocacy in the Field of Migration, Caritas Czech Republic
e-mail: 6enBRW6gbfBFRYUSYanBZd54Ys
tel.: +420 731 646 938
Jan Oulík
Spokesperson, Caritas Czech Republic
e-mail: jan.oulik@charita.cz
tel. +420 603 895 984
