What is happening in Ukraine for children?

Our teams have been in the Ukraine for 25 years and are working day and night to scale up support. You can help send life-saving supplies.

What does the conflict mean for Ukraine’s children?  

• Nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have been displaced – they are at risk of being separated from their families, exploited and abused. 
• Children are terrified, in shock, and desperate for safety, stability, protection and psychosocial care. 
• 7.1 million people are internally displaced inside the country. 
• Medical supplies are running low, hundreds of thousands of people are without access to safe water and children are in urgent need of protection. 

UNICEF is on the ground in Ukraine and the region to support children 

UNICEF is ramping up efforts to deliver emergency support to the most vulnerable in Ukraine and across the region. Currently, 203 UNICEF staff are in Ukraine, and we are sending more.

• Safe water to conflict-affected areas where water systems are barely functioning or have been destroyed.
• Health care and nutrition support where services are severely lacking or have shut down entirely. 
• Protection from violence, exploitation and abuse. 
• Mental health and psychosocial support.
• Education and school supplies to keep children learning.  

You can help to deliver life-saving supplies for children and their families. Please, donate now. 

A health system weakened by conflict 

Ukraine's health system has been severely weakened by the dual crisis of conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic.    

There have been at least 248 attacks impacting health care facilities in Ukraine, according to the World Health Organisation.  

As people flee, sanitation and hygiene services at borders are under pressure, putting children and families are risk of disease outbreaks. There are low vaccination rates for measles, polio and COVID-19. 
 
In Ukraine, UNICEF-supported child protection mobile teams are reaching children wherever they can with psychosocial care, mental health support and protection services.

Our teams are also delivering life-saving medical equipment to help mothers give birth safely.  Since the end of February, UNICEF has reached more than 1.6 million people with life-saving medical supplies in hospitals and maternity homes across Ukraine. 

Education under attack   

Imagine trying to go to school in a war zone. Many schools have been damaged by shells and rocket fire, or lack resources, making it dangerous for children to keep learning.   
 
At least one in six UNICEF-supported ‘Safe Schools’ in eastern Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed since the start of the war.   
 
Further school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic means children could not access education, especially those from low-income families with limited or no access to the internet.  
 
As families flee, our teams are supplying education kits to keep children learning. UNICEF also helps to repair damaged schools and kindergartens so children feel safe and can continue their education.  
 
Since the end of February, our teams have reached more than 288,000 children with education, early childhood development and learning materials.

Since the end of February, our teams have reached more than 59,000 children with education, early childhood development and learning materials.

For 25 years UNICEF has been there to protect the children of Ukraine. We cannot rest until we reach every child affected by this conflict.