We are pleased to present the inaugural issue of the Humanitarian Observatory for Central and Eastern Europe Newsletter. This quarterly newsletter is an initiative of the Humanitarian Observatory for Central and Eastern Europe, established in 2024 as part of the global network coordinated by the Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre at Erasmus University Rotterdam. The Observatory serves as a collaborative space, bringing together organisations from academia, humanitarian action, and civil society to critically engage with humanitarian governance, refugee response, and crisis management in the region.
About the Newsletter
Our newsletter seeks to provide timely, accessible, and evidence-based updates on humanitarian issues, migration trends, refugee protection, and border management in Central and Eastern Europe. It serves as a platform to amplify local voices, share reflections from the ground, and foster dialogue among practitioners, researchers, and decision-makers.
Following our editorial guidelines, the newsletter is designed to reach a wide audience, moving beyond academic language to ensure clarity and inclusivity. Each issue aims to bring a balanced overview of key humanitarian developments, giving space to various actors and focusing on cross-cutting topics such as inclusion, ethics, and the effectiveness of humanitarian responses.
What’s inside this issue?
In this first issue (1/2025), we take a sobering look at the ripple effects of the USAID funding cuts across the region.
- In Poland, the humanitarian sector has faced an abrupt setback as US aid cuts and the re-evaluation of foreign aid programs led to the suspension or downsizing of critical refugee support services. This has particularly affected women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities among the nearly one million Ukrainian refugees in the country. According to information provided by the Migration Consortium and the Ukrainian House, these changes have significantly impacted the availability and continuity ofessential assistance – as well as the prospects of future response.
- In Ukraine, communities are reeling from the sudden halt in support for agriculture, energy infrastructure, and veteran mental health services. Open Space Works Ukraine together with Ground Truth Solutions highlight how cash assistance remains crucial, yet often inaccessible for those closest to the frontlines or living with war injuries.
- In Belarus, Human Constanta reports a rise in distress calls from migrants stranded at the Belarus-EU border. With the collapse of voluntary return programs and dwindling humanitarian support, migrants—particularly women—are pushed into extreme survival strategies, including transactional sex.
Additionally, the issue reflects upon the Amplifying Community Voices workshop in Kyiv, where researchers and practitioners examined how participatory research methods can ensure truly community-driven humanitarian responses. The discussions underscored both the power and the challenges of engaging affected populations in shaping aid efforts.
We hope this first edition sets the tone for a thought-provoking, collaborative, and regionally relevant newsletter. We warmly invite feedback, contributions, and ideas for future issues.
