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16 results
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Document
06 July 2023
500 days of war for Ukraine’s children
https://www.unicef.org/eca/documents/500-days-war-ukraines-children
Ukraine’s children and their families have endured 500 days of forced displacement, unthinkable loss, and relentless violence since the escalation of war in February 2022. At least 535 children have been killed – the equivalent of a child dying every day since the war escalated, mostly from bombardment. At least 1,095 children have been injured.…, UNICEF's response, UNICEF continues to respond to children’s urgent humanitarian needs and ensure children have access to health care, immunization, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and mental health and psychosocial support. In refugee hosting countries, UNICEF continues to work with governments, municipalities, and local partners to…, Ukraines children and their families have endured 500 days of forced displacement, unthinkable loss, and relentless violence since the escalation of war in February 2022. At least 535 children have been killed the equivalent of a child dying every day since the war escalated, mostly from bombardment. At least 1,095 children have been injured.1…
Report
31 August 2023
Ukraine refugee response in neighbouring countries
https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/ukraine-refugee-response-neighbouring-countries
The escalation of the war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 created a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe. Millions of children were uprooted from their homes, separated from their families and put at risk of violence. Around 5.4 million people remain displaced across Ukraine one year after, and humanitarian needs continue to grow. In Europe, 5…, Policy Brief Ukraine refugee response in neighbouring countries: Guidance for Local Authorities 2 The escalation of the war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 created a humanitarian and human rights ca-tastrophe. Millions of children were uprooted from their homes, separated from their families and put at risk of violence. Around 5.4 million people…
Article
29 April 2022
Amid war, Ukrainian mothers fight for a healthy future for children
https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/amid-war-ukrainian-mothers-fight-healthy-future-children
Even war will not stop Hanna Omelchenko, a 30-year-old mother who fled Kyiv with her family, from getting her children vaccinated.  “I believe that vaccination is really the least we can do for our children,” she says. “Not so long ago, many children were dying from dangerous infections or suffering terrible consequences. Now medicine and science allow us to get protected.” image A few weeks ago, Hanna was cradling her twin sons in their basement as the shells pounded the ground above. Now, having found a safe place to stay in Uzhgorod, a city in western Ukraine, she is determined to give one-year-old Solomiya and Myron a shot at a healthy, peaceful future.  Yulia Dovhanych, who founded a medical center in Uzhgorod, is one of the doctors helping her to secure it. "War is not a reason to avoid vaccination,” says Yulia. “On the contrary, now all of us, both doctors and parents with children, need to be even more disciplined and take better care of our health.”   image Many Ukrainians like Hanna have found themselves far from home, without a family doctor. There are 50,000 internally displaced people in Uzhgorod alone. And, as the violence in Ukraine escalates, so too does the risk of infection outbreaks.  At the end of last year, an outbreak of polio was reported in the country’s Zakarpattia and Rivne regions, resulting in the paralysis of at least two children. Now, these regions are seeing the arrival of some of the highest numbers of internally displaced persons from across the country.   image Yulia, who has been working as a doctor for 11 years, knows all too well how crucial it is for children to be vaccinated.  “It is extremely important to protect children from polio, because there is no cure for this disease,” she says. “And it can have grave consequences, such as lifelong paralysis. Vaccination protects against such consequences and death from the disease." In Uzhgorod hundreds of displaced families have turned to local health facilities to get their children vaccinated. Some children will see a doctor for the first time, having been born only recently.  “I am glad that I found a medical center, where the children and I feel comfortable and where we get everything we need,” says Hanna. “I want to address Ukrainian mothers – vaccination is really the least you can do to protect your child. If you are not under fire and are safe, do not hesitate to vaccinate your children! All the barriers you may think of are nothing compared to the threats posed to your baby by infectious diseases.”   image "Everyone has their own fight now,” adds Yulia. “Our fight is against infectious diseases. It is a fight for health. There is no cure for polio. But there is a reliable protection – vaccination.” In the past months, millions of Ukrainian families have fled their homes and now face an uncertain future, meaning that thousands of children across the country are missing vital doses of vaccines to protect them from polio, measles, diphtheria and other life-threatening diseases. Before February 2022, a steady and measurable process has been achieved in revamping routine immunization rates to pre-pandemic levels.  Now, low immunization rates, coupled with an ongoing polio outbreak, limited access to hygiene, and overcrowded waiting and transit points in others, pose a serious threat of infectious diseases outbreaks in Ukraine.  UNICEF is providing ongoing support to the government of Ukraine and its national immunization program through training health professionals, helping to set up and maintain the vaccine cold chain system, launching communication and behavior change campaigns on the importance of vaccination, and combating misinformation about vaccines.  
Report
24 February 2023
365 days of war and displacement for Ukraine’s children
https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/365-days-war-and-displacement-ukraines-children
Since the war in Ukraine escalated on 24 February 2022, many children have been separated from their homes, friends and loved ones. They have witnessed acts of violence and destruction and undergone untold trauma. The generous, timely and flexible support of all donors allowed UNICEF to swiftly scale up our response to ensure that critical…, Since the war in Ukraine escalated on 24 February 2022, many children have been separated from their homes, friends and loved ones. They have witnessed acts of violence and destruction and undergone untold trauma. To date, a reported 438 children have been killed and 838 injured, and the real numbers are likely far higher. Amidst the vast…
Article
07 July 2023
No way for children to grow up
https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/no-way-children-grow
UNICEF continues to respond to children’s urgent humanitarian needs and ensure children have access to health care, immunization, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and mental health and psychosocial support. In refugee hosting countries, UNICEF continues to work with governments, municipalities, and local partners to strengthen national systems that provide refugee children and marginalized children from host communities with quality education, health care and protection. 500 days of war in Ukraine graphic 1.1 500 days of war in Ukraine graphic 1.6
Report
09 September 2022
6 months of war in Ukraine
https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/6-months-war-ukraine
After six months of devastation and displacement for the people of Ukraine, it is children who are suffering the deadly consequence of a brutal war not of their making. In areas across eastern and southern Ukraine, they continue to be caught in the crossfire of ongoing hostilities, while schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure on…, 6 months of war in UkraineEurope and Central Asia (ECA) Regional Office Report https://www.unicef.org/ After six months of devastation and displacement for the people of Ukraine, it is children who are suffering the deadly consequence of a brutal war not of their making. In areas across eastern and southern Ukraine, they continue to be caught in…
News note
25 February 2022
UNICEF Geneva Palais briefing note on the situation of children in Ukraine
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/unicef-geneva-palais-briefing-note-situation-children-ukraine
GENEVA, 25 February 2022 - "As many of you know, the military operation in Ukraine poses an immediate threat to the lives and wellbeing of the country’s 7.5 million children. "As we speak, there have been major attacks in Kyiv that have created great fear and panic among the population, with families really scared, moving alongside their children into subways and shelters. This is clearly a terrifying moment for children across the country. "UNICEF has been working for the past 8 years in and across eastern Ukraine to scale up life-saving programmes for children. This includes trucking safe water to conflict-affected areas; prepositioning health, hygiene and emergency education supplies as close as possible to communities near the line of contact; and working with municipalities to ensure there is immediate help for children and families in need. "We have staff in the country in more than 5 locations. "UNICEF has been supporting mobile teams to provide psychosocial support to traumatized children, and that has further elevated as a result of the insecurity. These child protection teams provide case management - they respond to violence, abuse, separation from family, gender-based violence, mental health and psychosocial support, and disability cases. "But clearly, in the last few days, the needs of children and families are escalating in line with the conflict. As many of you have seen, evacuations are ongoing in Luhansk Oblast and have started in Donetsk. Needs are wide, ranging from hygiene products to blankets, to gas burners , to first aid kits. "UNICEF - along with the rest of the UN family - calls on all parties to protect all children at all times and to ensure that humanitarian actors can safely and quickly reach children in need, wherever they are. "UNICEF also calls on all parties to refrain from attacking essential infrastructure on which children depend - including water and sanitation systems, health facilities and schools. Already we have reports of grave shortages, along with a fast-rising number of requests for psychological support, and care for children. "UNICEF is seeking US$66.4 million to provide access to basic services including water and sanitation, immunization and health care, schooling and learning, psychosocial support, and emergency cash assistance for up to 7.5 million children inside Ukraine. "We will be working with UNHCR and other UN agencies in the coming days for a Flash Appeal for the surrounding countries and we have activated what we call the ‘Blue Dots’ which we used during the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe during 2015-2016, providing essential services en route where families and children have been evacuated in surrounding countries. "I know that as we rush, and my colleagues will probably speak to this, to tally the civilian casualties, including among children, we clearly have to address the trauma of the living. "So we count on the joint efforts of the entire UN family to support this response." Children in Ukraine UNICEF
Press release
25 March 2022
More than half of Ukraine’s children displaced after one month of war
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/more-half-ukraines-children-displaced-after-one-month-war
NEW YORK/GENEVA/KYIV, 24 March 2022 – One month of war in Ukraine has led to the displacement of 4.3 million children – more than half of the country’s estimated 7.5 million child population. This includes more than 1.8 million children who have crossed into neighbouring countries as refugees and 2.5 million who are now internally displaced inside Ukraine.  “The war has caused one of the fastest large-scale displacements of children since World War II,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “This is a grim milestone that could have lasting consequences for generations to come. Children’s safety, wellbeing and access to essential services are all under threat from non-stop horrific violence.”   According to OHCHR, 78 children have been killed, and 105 have been injured in Ukraine since the start of the war on 24 February. Yet these figures represent only those reports that the UN has been able to confirm, and the true toll is likely far higher.  The war has also had devastating consequences on civilian infrastructure and access to basic services.  The World Health Organisation (WHO), for example, has reported 52 attacks impacting health care facilities across the country over the last four weeks, while Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science has reported damage to more than 500 education facilities. An estimated 1.4 million people now lack access to safe water, while 4.6 million people have limited access to water or are at risk of being cut off. Over 450,000 children aged 6 to 23 months need complementary food support.   UNICEF has already observed a reduction in vaccination coverage for routine and childhood immunizations, including measles and polio. This could quickly lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, especially in overcrowded areas where people are sheltering from the violence. “In just a few weeks, the war has wrought such devastation for Ukraine’s children,” said Russell. “Children urgently need peace and protection. They need their rights. UNICEF continues to appeal for an immediate cease-fire and for the protection of children from harm. Essential infrastructure on which children depend, including hospitals, schools and buildings sheltering civilians, must never come under attack.” UNICEF and its partners are working to reach children in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries with humanitarian assistance. In Ukraine, UNICEF has delivered medical supplies to 49 hospitals in 9 regions – including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Lviv – improving access to healthcare for 400,000 mothers, newborns and children. UNICEF continues to distribute water and hygiene items in communities under siege. In addition, UNICEF is increasing the number of mobile child protection teams working inside acute conflict zones from 22 to 50 and has delivered 63 trucks of lifesaving supplies to support the needs of over 2.2 million people. In the coming weeks, UNICEF will start emergency cash transfers to the most vulnerable families and establish child-friendly spaces in key locations across the country.  To protect and support the millions of children and families who have fled Ukraine, UNICEF and UNHCR in partnership with governments and civil society organizations, have created “Blue Dots,” one-stop safe spaces for children and women. ‘Blue Dots’ provide key information to travelling families, help to identify unaccompanied and separated children and ensure their protection. They also provide a hub for essential services. ‘Blue Dots’ have already been established in countries hosting Ukrainian children and women and are being scaled up over the coming days, including more than 20 in Poland. Despite intensive efforts to ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, significant challenges remain in the most affected areas across the country.  Displaced children UNICEF
Statement
14 March 2022
Stop attacks on health care in Ukraine
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/stop-attacks-health-care-ukraine
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 13 March 2022 – “Today, we call for an immediate cessation of all attacks on health care in Ukraine. These horrific attacks are killing and causing serious injuries to patients and health workers, destroying vital health infrastructure and forcing thousands to forgo accessing health services despite catastrophic needs. "To attack the most vulnerable – babies, children, pregnant women, and those already suffering from illness and disease, and health workers risking their own lives to save lives – is an act of unconscionable cruelty. “In Ukraine, since the start of the war, 31 attacks on health care have been documented via the WHO’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA). According to these reports, in 24 incidents health care facilities were damaged or destroyed, while in five cases ambulances were damaged or destroyed. These attacks have led to at least 12 deaths and 34 injuries, and affected access to and availability of essential health services. WHO is verifying further reports, as attacks continue to be reported despite the calls for protection of health care. “Attacks on health care and health workers directly impact people’s ability to access essential health services – especially women, children and other vulnerable groups. We have already seen that the health care needs of pregnant women, new mothers, younger children and older people inside Ukraine are rising, while access to services is being severely limited by the violence. “For example, more than 4,300 births have occurred in Ukraine since the start of the war and 80,000 Ukrainian women are expected to give birth in the next three months. Oxygen and medical supplies, including for the management of pregnancy complications, are running dangerously low. “The health care system in Ukraine is clearly under significant strain, and its collapse would be a catastrophe. Every effort must be made to prevent this from happening. “International humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld, and the protection of civilians must be our top priority. “Humanitarian partners and health care workers must be able to safely maintain and strengthen essential health service delivery, including immunization against COVID-19 and polio, and the supply of life-saving medicines for civilians across Ukraine as well as to refugees crossing into neighbouring countries. Health services should be systematically available at border crossings, including rapid care and referral processes for children and pregnant women.  “It is critical that humanitarian actors have safe and unimpeded access to reach ALL civilians in need wherever they may be. UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO are working with partners to scale up life-saving services and support to meet urgent health needs. We must be able to safely deliver emergency medical supplies – including those required for obstetric and neonatal care – to health centers, temporary facilities and underground shelters. “Health care and services should be protected from all acts of violence and obstruction. Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has already put health systems and health care workers under enormous strain, such attacks have the potential to be even more devastating for the civilian population. For the sake of health workers, and for all people in Ukraine who need access to the lifesaving services they provide, attacks on all health care and other civilian infrastructure must stop. “Finally, we call for an immediate ceasefire, which includes unhindered access so that people in need can access humanitarian assistance. A peaceful resolution to end the war in Ukraine is possible.” Two newborn babies in a maternity clinic in Ukraine. UNICEF Two newborn babies being cared for at a makeshift maternity clinic in Ukraine.
Report
01 March 2023
Ukraine and Refugee Outflow situation reports
https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/ukraine-and-refugee-outflow-situation-reports
Together with UNHCR, other United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners, UNICEF scaled up its multi-sectoral response in 19 refugee hosting countries, leveraging partnerships established through longstanding country programmes and a strong network of National Committees. In countries where it did not have a presence prior to the war (Czech…, POLAND CZECH REPUBLIC SLOVAK REPUBLIC UKRAINE HUNGARYMOLDOVA ROMANIA BULGARIA TRKIYE GREECE NORTH MAKEDONIA SERBIA MONTENEGRO ALBANIA BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA CROATIA SLOVENIA AUSTRIA LITHUANIA RUSSIANFEDERATION UNICEF Refugee response programme results In the spotlightBuilding on its existing programmes and partnerships and the well-established…
Press release
04 May 2020
With financial support from the European Union UNICEF launches the ‘RM Child-Health’ project to strengthen vulnerable refugee and migrant children’s health
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/financial-support-european-union-unicef-launches-rm-child-health-project-strengthen
Logo Logo   BRUSSELS, GENEVA, 5 May 2020 – Under the Health Programme of the European Union, the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety has committed a project grant to  UNICEF to support work ensuring refugee and migrant children and their families have access to quality health care and accurate health information in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia. Refugee and migrant children and their families often have more health-related risks and face a number of barriers accessing quality health care. Many children and families also live with severe emotional distress due to the trauma of fleeing home, undertaking dangerous journeys and experiencing abuse and exploitation, including sexual and gender-based violence. The global COVID19 pandemic further exacerbates these health challenges.  “With the ongoing pandemic, protecting every child and adult’s right to health care and accurate heath information is paramount. This collaboration with the EU Health Programme will help ensure the most vulnerable refugee and migrant children will have better access to primary healthcare services, psychosocial support as well as violence prevention and response services,” said UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Special Coordinator for the Refuge and Migrant Response in Europe, Ms. Afshan Khan. The project ‘RM Child-Health’ will help improve the health of refugee and migrant children by improving their access to life-saving immunizations, mental health and psychosocial support, gender-based violence prevention and response activities as well as maternal and newborn health care and nutrition support. Information materials on health-related risks and services available for refugee and migrant populations will be created and shared. Medical interpreters and cultural mediators will be deployed to support communication between children and families and health care providers. The project ‘RM Child-Health’ will also support training programmes so frontline health care workers can better respond to the specific needs of refugee and migrant children and their families. In parallel, national health authorities will benefit from technical support to develop, update and improve the implementation of health policies and address bottlenecks in national health systems that currently prevent refugee and migrant children from accessing services. Refugee mother feeding her baby at ADRA community centre in Belgrade. UNICEF/UNI220342/Pancic
Press release
30 January 2018
UNICEF seeks $3.6 billion in emergency assistance for 48 million children caught up in catastrophic humanitarian crises
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/unicef-seeks-36-billion-emergency-assistance-48-million-children-caught-catastrophic
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 30 January 2018 – UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2018 UNICEF appealed today for $3.6 billion to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to 48 million children living through conflict, natural disasters and other emergencies in 51 countries in 2018.  Around the world, violent conflict is driving humanitarian needs to critical levels, with children especially vulnerable. Conflicts that have endured for years – such as those in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, among other countries –  continue to deepen in complexity, bringing new waves of violence, displacement and disruption to children’s lives.  “Children cannot wait for wars to be brought to an end, with crises threatening the immediate survival and long term future of children and young people on a catastrophic scale,” said UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes, Manuel Fontaine. “Children are the most vulnerable when conflict or disaster causes the collapse of essential services such as healthcare, water and sanitation. Unless the international community takes urgent action to protect and provide life-saving assistance to these children, they face an increasingly bleak future.” Parties to conflicts are showing a blatant disregard for the lives of children. Children are not only coming under direct attack, but are also being denied basic services as schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure are damaged or destroyed. Approximately 84 per cent ($3.015 billion) of the 2018 funding appeal is for work in countries affected by humanitarian crises borne of violence and conflict. The world is becoming a more dangerous place for many children, with almost one in four children now living in a country affected by conflict or disaster. For too many of these children, daily life is a nightmare.  The spread of water-borne diseases is one of the greatest threats to children’s lives in crises. Attacks on water and sanitation infrastructure, siege tactics which deny children access to safe water, as well as forced displacement into areas with no water and sanitation infrastructure – all leave children and families at risk of relying on contaminated water and unsafe sanitation. Girls and women face additional threats, as they often fulfil the role of collecting water for their families in dangerous situations.  “117 million people living through emergencies lack access to safe water and in many countries affected by conflict, more children die from diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation than from direct violence,” said Fontaine. “Without access to safe water and sanitation, children fall ill, and are often unable to be treated as hospitals and health centres either do not function or are overcrowded. The threat is even greater as millions of children face life-threatening levels of malnutrition, making them more susceptible to water-borne diseases like cholera, creating a vicious cycle of undernutrition and disease.” As the leading humanitarian agency on water, sanitation and hygiene in emergencies, UNICEF provides over half of the emergency water, sanitation and hygiene services in humanitarian crises around the world.  When disasters strike, UNICEF works with partners to quickly provide access to safe drinking water, sanitation services and hygiene supplies to prevent the spread of disease. This includes establishing latrines, distributing hygiene kits, trucking thousands of litres of water to displacement camps daily, supporting hospitals and cholera treatment centres, and repairing water and sanitation systems. These measures save lives, have long-term impact and pave the way for other important services like health clinics, vaccination programmes, nutrition support and emergency education.  The largest component of UNICEF’s appeal this year is for children and families caught up in the Syria conflict, soon to enter its eighth year. UNICEF is seeking almost $1.3 billion to support 6.9 million Syrian children inside Syria and those living as refugees in neighbouring countries. Working with partners and with the support of donors, in 2018 UNICEF aims to: Provide 35.7 million people with access to safe water;  Reach 8.9 million children with formal or non-formal basic education;  Immunize 10 million children against measles; Provide psychosocial support to over 3.9 million children; Treat 4.2 million children with severe acute malnutrition. In the first ten months of 2017, as a result of UNICEF’s support:  29.9 million people were provided with access to safe water; 13.6 million children were vaccinated against measles; 5.5 million children accessed some form of education; 2.5 million children were treated for severe acute malnutrition; 2.8 million children accessed psycho-social support.    Sonia, 14 remembers the teachers helping to her calm down. UNICEF/UN0312564/Filippov
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