Ukraine war update: 24 February 2023 marks one year since the war in Ukraine escalated, devastating the lives of children, their families and communities.
The children of Ukraine have now endured a year of violence, trauma, loss, destruction and displacement since the war escalated in February 2022. The country’s 7.8 million children have been robbed of 365 days of play, school memories, and time with friends and family.
As we mark one year of devastation and displacement, it is children who are suffering the deadly consequences of this brutal war. In areas across eastern and southern Ukraine, children continue to be caught in the crossfire of ongoing hostilities, while schools, hospitals and homes continue to be damaged or destroyed.
The damage to vital infrastructure is impacting children and their community’s access to electricity, heating, water, sanitation and telecommunications. Without electricity, children are unable to keep warm during a bitterly cold winter where temperatures can drop below -20°C and children are unable to continue their online learning.
You can help deliver life-saving supplies like safe drinking water, warm clothes and learning materials to help Ukraine’s children rebuild their future.
Now is not the time to look away. One year later, Ukraine's children need us more than ever.
It's been one year since the Ukraine War began.
One Year of War in Ukraine
Help make a difference in the lives of children. Donate to UNICEF's ongoing efforts in Ukraine.
Displaced from their homes, one year on, children and their families return to find the life they once knew in ruins.
In January 2023, 10-year-old Veronica visits the ruins of the high-rise building where she once lived in the centre of Borodianka, Ukraine. As she feeds the cats, Veronica gazes up at several gaping holes in the bricks where her bedroom once stood.
"There, on the ninth floor, where you can see a brown door, was where my room used to be. I had a big bed and many toys. I had a phone. But the bomb ruined everything. If the wind blows, we can find the remains of our things nearby sometimes,” Veronica says.
Scores of families from Borodianka have experienced the horrors of the war in Ukraine after nearly a year of violence that has devastated the lives of millions. Veronica and her parents eventually managed to return home, only to find it in ruins.
"We waited for a long time for the city to be de-mined, for the rubble to be cleared and for the bodies of the dead people to be pulled out from the ruins," says Veronica.
Ukraine war updates: One year on and children need you more than ever.
UNICEF is always there before, during and after an emergency, but we can’t do this alone. UNICEF requires US$1.1 billion to address the immediate and longer-term needs of 9.4 million people, including 4 million children, who remain deeply impacted by the war in Ukraine.
Funding will enable UNICEF to provide, sustain and expand critical services in health, nutrition, child protection, gender-based violence, WASH and social protection alongside government relief and recovery efforts. It will also ensure timely preparedness for additional internal displacements and refugee movements.
Your generous donations are making an impact.
At a kindergarten in the Ukrainian city of Slavutych, a young girl lies down to rest in their new bomb shelter, but it hasn’t always been this way.
Before UNICEF and our partners built a shelter for the kindergarten, children and teachers had to hide behind the walls during air alarms. Now, children spend their rest hours in the shelter, which was specially equipped in just over a month.
To ensure children are able to continue attending schools and kindergartens, UNICEF has been working alongside our partners to build shelters and rebuild schools in the most affected areas. Currently, 56 facilities have been restored, with the addition of necessary supplies and materials for various activities and comfort.
One Year of War in Ukraine
Help make a difference in the lives of children. Donate to UNICEF's ongoing efforts in Ukraine.
How will my donation help support children in Ukraine?
UNICEF has offices and teams across Ukraine and in neighbouring countries, staying to help children in need. Here's how you could help:
- $81 can help provide an electric heater for a family in need
- $130 can help provide 15 blankets to help keep children warm in the bitter winter cold
- $271 can help to provide a School-in-a-Box so that children can continue their education
With a smaller monthly donation, you can make an even bigger impact by giving children in Ukraine the ongoing support needed to rebuild their futures.
Donate to support Ukraine’s children one year on.
- 82¢last year, 82 cents of every dollar donated went to our emergency response work in the field and helped us to be there for children before, during and after emergencies around the world.
- 18¢last year, 18 cents in every dollar were invested in raising public awareness; fundraising to grow our impact for children and in essential accountability and administration work.
How do we use each dollar donated?
If you choose to donate monthly, or in the unlikely event that UNICEF receives more funds than needed for this emergency response, your gift will help support UNICEF's work for children in need around the world.
Ukraine War Update FAQs
The first anniversary of the Ukraine War marks one year since the start of the conflict in Ukraine and highlights the ongoing impact it has had on children and families in the region. This page is dedicated to raising awareness about the situation and the efforts of UNICEF Australia to provide aid and support to those affected.
The Ukraine War has resulted in widespread displacement, limited access to basic necessities such as food, water and healthcare, and a significant increase in child poverty. These conditions have had a devastating impact on the lives and well-being of children in Ukraine.
UNICEF has been working to provide aid and support to children affected by the conflict in Ukraine since the start of the war and will continue to support them long after the war has ended as the country rebuilds. This includes providing essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid, as well as supporting programs to help children recover from the trauma of the conflict.
One of the most effective ways to support UNICEF's efforts in Ukraine is by making a donation. Your contribution will help UNICEF provide critical aid and support to children and families affected by the conflict, inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries.
Thanks to our international community's incredible support and generous donations, UNICEF has strengthened our ongoing presence in Ukraine, working alongside our partners to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance in a constantly changing and volatile situation.
We have provided the children of Ukraine with access to safe water, sanitation and healthcare, even after infrastructure was damaged or destroyed. In partnership with UNHCR, we set up 40 Blue Dots; safe spaces along border crossings that provide children and families with critical services to help them with their onward journey. Our psychosocial services offered essential support to over 2.9 million children and caregivers, and our cash assistance programs helped meet the needs of families with children who are most affected by the war.
With your help, we provided more than 5 million children with continued access to education. Through the online learning systems UNICEF helped set up during the pandemic, millions of children have resumed their studies. We train teachers, run mobile education teams and build child-friendly spaces in underground shelters. And we're helping the millions of children who've fled to neighbouring countries start at new schools with language classes, learning supplies and assistive devices for children with disabilities.
The Ukraine War has profoundly impacted children in the region, including displacement, limited access to basic necessities, increased poverty, and trauma. UNICEF is working to help children recover and overcome these challenges.
Your donation will help UNICEF continue providing critical aid and support to children and families affected by the conflict in Ukraine. This includes delivering essential supplies and supporting programs that allow children to continue their education, have a safe place to live, and recover from trauma. We're also working to provide long-term support to communities.
Looking for other ways to support Ukraine's children?
