On of the International Day of Families on May 15, the women-led peacebuilding initiative Women Building Bridges is calling on politicians, international organisations, humanitarian actors, journalists, women’s and migration-focused organisations, and human rights defenders to urgently address the humanitarian crisis of families separated by the war in Ukraine.
More than 11 million Ukrainians have been forcibly displaced by nearly a decade of war, leaving millions of families separated across borders and front lines. Elderly parents remain divided from children and grandchildren. Husbands and wives are stranded in different countries for years. Many people are unable to attend funerals, care for sick relatives, or maintain meaningful contact with loved ones across the divide created by war.
Closed crossings, restrictive entry procedures, disrupted communication channels, and legal uncertainty continue to make family reunification extremely difficult. Civilian passage between Ukraine and Russia is now effectively limited to a single transit route through Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow, while regular railway and automobile crossings remain closed. Admission procedures often lack transparency, creating risks of long-term entry bans. As a result, ordinary civilians remain trapped between political, military, and bureaucratic systems. Yet despite ongoing discussions about ceasefires and future peace arrangements, the issue of separated families remains largely absent from official agendas.
International humanitarian law recognises the protection of family life and the obligation to facilitate family contact and reunification during armed conflict. In practice, however, countless families continue to face financial hardship, and psychological trauma simply for trying to stay connected. Women Building Bridges has prepared a report based on interviews and testimonies from people directly affected by separation, offering practical recommendations for governments, policy makers and humanitarian institutions.
We call for:
• humanitarian family reunification mechanisms to be included in future peace negotiations and agreements;
• safe and accessible humanitarian corridors and cross-border procedures for separated families;
• simplified humanitarian visa and transit mechanisms for civilians affected by the war;
• stronger involvement of international organisations in addressing the needs of divided families;
• recognition that protecting family unity is a fundamental component of human security, social stability, and post-war recovery.
Every step that helps families remain connected is an investment in future peaceful coexistence. We invite humanitarian organisations, women’s networks, migration and refugee organisations, policymakers, and international institutions to work with us in developing practical solutions that place family unity at the centre of peacebuilding efforts.
Women Building Bridges
wbbinitiative@gmail.com
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Women Building Bridges Initiative brings together women from Ukraine, Russia, and Eastern and Central Europe working across civil society, academia, humanitarian initiatives, and community spaces. The initiative was created to foster dialogue and humanitarian cooperation in response to the human consequences of the war in Ukraine and to build new forms of solidarity and people-centred security.
