Russia-Ukraine War

The United Nations (UN) estimated that a record number of people would need humanitarian assistance this year—that was without knowing that war was about to break out in the heart of Europe.From the tens of millions expected to be pushed into extreme poverty by food and energy price spikes, to the worst the refugee crisis the world has seen for 80 years and the millions of Ukranian civilians who (either now or in the near future) will require humanitarian assistant, the implications are grave and far reaching. 

As the war in Ukraine continues, CGD experts are exploring how the world’s poorest people are going to be impacted by this conflict, and considering how policymakers should respond.

More from the Series

Blog Post

Ukrainian Refugees and Their Hosting Communities Are in Desperate Need of Funding
Dany Bahar
March 07, 2022
In the few days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, over 1.7 million Ukrainians—including children, women, elderly—have already fled their homes, seeking refuge in other nations. That is not just an extraordinarily large number, considering the invasion happened just days ago, but it is a...
Blog Post

How Do You Turn Off the Internet When You Can’t Reach the Switch, Because It’s in Space?
Rose Croshier
March 07, 2022
In the present struggle for access to information and digital services playing out in Ukraine, Iran, and many other countries, a new generation of “non-geostationary” satellites is testing the autocrat’s playbook.
Blog Post

Can Russia Use Its SDRs? Yes and No
Mark Plant et al.
March 07, 2022
With Russia’s attack on Ukraine raging and most of the world imposing severe financial sanctions on Russia, attention has turned to whether Russia could use its allocation of special drawing rights to bolster its foreign reserves and finance its war effort. The answer is yes, in principle, but ...
Blog Post

Can Frozen Russian Assets Fund Universal Basic Income in Ukraine?
Anit Mukherjee
March 04, 2022
As the war in Ukraine shakes the moral conscience of the world, the question is what the global community can do to help those suffering within the country and outside. One proposal, laid out in POLITICO on Tuesday, is to use the $650 billion worth of Russia’s Central Bank assets that have been froz...