365 days of war and displacement for Ukraine’s 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. To date, a reported 438 children have been killed and 838 injured, and the real numbers are likely far higher. Amidst the vast destruction, thousands of primary and secondary schools and over 782 health facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Access to basic services such as education and healthcare is significantly curtailed, pushing a generation of children to the brink. Deep into the winter, strikes on civilian infrastructure have led to widespread power outages leaving 16 million people with disrupted access to water, sanitation and hygiene alongside a lack of electricity and heating. Over 5 million children in Ukraine have had their education disrupted. In an environment where three out of four children are learning online, electricity and power cuts make online learning often impossible. Danger and uncertainty are a growing part of daily life, including the threat of encounters with unexploded ordnance. 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 2 27.3 MILLION PEOPLE need humanitarian assistance 4.1 MILLION CHILDREN in need in Ukraine 3.86 MILLION CHILDRENin need outside Ukraine 5.4 MILLION PEOPLEinternally displaced8 MILLION REFUGEES recorded across Europe 4.8 MILLION registered for temporary national protection schemes 438 CHILDREN killed838 CHILDREN injured 1.5 MILLION CHILDRENS mental health impacted by war-related trauma. 5.3 MILLION CHILDRENneed education support in Ukraine 2,300 education facilities and 782 health care facilities damaged or destroyed The effects of war have led to internal and external displacement, violence, disease, family separation and the threat of child trafficking. The impact of the war Countries covered under UNICEF response Refugees from Ukraine recorded in country Refugees registered for Temporary Protection or similar national protection schemes 863,0001 604,0001 497,0001 928,00011.9 M1 496,0001 DniproKropyvnytski Zaporizhzhia Kiev Lviv Vinnytsia Donetsk Luhansk IDPs in Zone 1IDPs in Zone 2 IDPs ** 1,000,000750,000500,000100,000 Estimated location of internally displaced persons in Ukraine Source: IOM : Ukraine Internal Displacement Report (January 2023) R f f Uk i d d i *as of December 31, 2022 A war is when strangers come and suddenly start to fire. Although we did not expect it to happen. So from now on, we are always afraid of something. And the worst thing is shelling, especially when it hits your house. Also, it is tough when we have absolutely no food and have to ask people for it.- Bohdan, 10, Izyum, in eastern Ukraine https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Ukraine-1-Year-Thank-you-MIX-16x9-2AMZIFQNRNRN.html https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Ukraine-1-Year-Thank-you-MIX-16x9-2AMZIFQNRNRN.html https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Ukraine-1-Year-Thank-you-MIX-16x9-2AMZIFQNRNRN.html https://dtm.iom.int/reports/ukraine-internal-displacement-report-general-population-survey-round-12-16-23-january-2023 Key results for children Your generous, timely and flexible support allowed us to swiftly scale up our response to ensure that critical services reach millions of Ukrainian children. Since the escalation of war in Ukraine, UNICEF has received 81 per cent flexible funding from the private sector which has enabled us to achieve holistic results for children across multiple areas. It ensures that UNICEF reaches families - especially the most vulnerable children and their caregivers - with the most appropriate services and support, transforming funding into effective action for children. With no end in sight for the war in Ukraine, flexible multi-year funding will allow us to continue to implement immediate and lifesaving support for children, as well as plan for early recovery and reconstruction programmes that support their future. Flexible funding adapts to the shifting, unpredictable nature of war, meeting childrens changing needs, working across geographies, and addressing the different contexts of refugee-response countries. Even in an unpredictable environment, amidst our urgent lifesaving response, we have also invested in activities that support and build local capacity and that rehabilitate and develop infrastructure, to ensure long-term and lasting results. UNICEF strengthened the health system in Ukraine, for example, by procuring and installing 5,186 vaccine refrigerators at 3,100 routine vaccination points, bringing vaccine access to over 15 million people. In the Czech Republic, we established new paediatric and adult outpatient centres, reaching 1,187 children and mothers. To ensure access to education in the years ahead, 123,150 children in Ukraine will benefit from the repair of learning facilities; while in countries welcoming refugees, we continue to support access to formal and informal education including school enrolment alongside adolescent engagement and informal skills-building. In partnership with the LEGO Foundation we are building the capacity of 20,000 early childhood development professionals and up-skilling 70,000 parents and caregivers with information and training opportunities in Moldova and Romania. 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 3 57% 173,942,871 62% 195,260,555 38% 124,837,772 46% 730,845,273 49% 129,441,949 1,364,557,767 Health &NutritionTOTAL* 895% 10,229,347 98,360,000 120,100,000 47,650,000 333,840,000 63,870,00076.55%1,044,620,000 91,550,000 Cross-sectoral Education Child Protection WASH Health and Nutrition Social Protection In Ukraine *Total includes firm and agreed (awaiting signature) commitments for sale orders for supplies; purchase requisitions for services and construction; salaries and travel advances to implementing, civil society organizations and government partners, approved but not yet paid. Programmatic areas exclude these. In refugee-hosting countriesKey Results Achieved children and women receiving primary health care services through UNICEF supported mechanisms children and caregivers accessing mental health and psychosocial support. children accessing formal or nonformal education, including early learning people accessing a sufficient quantity of safe water for drinking anddomestic needs people reached with UNICEF funded multi-purpose humanitarian cash transfers 4,937,295 3,355,403 1,458,203 5,574,624 224,303 473,563 1,248,025 1,058,230 115,544 53,679Cross-Sectoral people reached through messaging on access to services 15,712,497Partnerships partnerships with government local authorities, civil society andfinancial services 112 55 13,291,491 Social Protection WASHEducationChild Protection Funds UtilizedFunds Required 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 4 When the war in Ukraine escalated, armed violence intensified in nine oblasts (regions) resulting in death, injuries, and mass displacement of people across Ukraine and refugee-receiving countries, as well as severe destruction and damage to homes and civilian infrastructure. Access was an immediate challenge, as was continued shelling and violence. Of the millions of people who fled across the borders in the first weeks and months, 90 per cent were women and children. For those who stayed, life continued underground - in subways, cellars and hospital basements, most often in freezing conditions. The war in Ukraine sparked displacement in Europe on a scale and speed not seen since World War II, requiring a coordinated response within weeks amid uncertainty and shock, across many countries that had limited to no established emergency-response capacities. UNICEF responded at an unprecedented speed - an enormous scale-up built on the relatively small existing $14.7 million humanitarian response in eastern Ukraine, to a full scale $1.4 billion humanitarian response in Ukraine and across 19 refugee response countries to meet the massive, sudden and diverse humanitarian needs. This war has robbed the children of Ukraine of 365 days of school memories, celebrations, and occasions to thrive, play and grow with friends. Your continued support will make sure that this war does not rob them of their future. UNICEF in action for children With UNICEFs decades of experience working in hundreds of conflicts around the world, we were able to harness our experience and adapt it to respond in Ukraine. Rapid response teams were derived from our work in past emergency situations. The first Blue Dot hubs were set up within days based on the effective response to the 2015 European refugee crisis, a concept then adopted for the Spilno Child Spots offering respite for people in need within Ukraine. UNICEF was there. In Ukraine, we had been protecting and promoting the rights of children with our partners since 1997. In the previous eight years, our programmes had enabled children to access quality health care and learning, and benefit from child-focused protection systems. In 2021 alone, for example, over half a million conflict-affected people had received household water treatment in eastern Ukraine. UNICEFs mandate to save childrens lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their full potential from early childhood through adolescence - for every child, everywhere - assures that we will remain in Ukraine working for children in partnership with government and key stakeholders. Challenge Nobody expected the war to come. Nobody was ready for that. We had to explain to the kids things they shouldnt know. Children shouldnt know what war is. A father in Horishni Plavni UN ICE F/U N07 6047 5/O lena Hro m Supply coordination Since 2014, there had been conflict in eastern Ukraine. The UNICEF Ukraine Country Office worked alongside Supply Division to prepare for the possible escalation of war with strategic pre-positioning of goods in Ukraine, the development of effective contingency plans, and by building relationships with local, regional and international suppliers. While the initial route from the Global Supply and Logistics Hub in Denmark passed through Poland and then Ukraine, today UNICEF has larger strategically-located and better-equipped warehouses in the region, allowing for free positioning and fast dispatching. We have scaled up trucking personnel and frequency of deliveries from Copenhagen to warehouses in Ukraine. UNICEF staff and logisticians are continually adapting to the lack of formal distribution networks, the unpredictable nature and uncertainties of war, as well as shifting weather and logistical patterns. Combined, these efforts have enabled UNICEF Supply Division to safely deliver more than 8,500 metric tonnes of supplies and services worth $163 million to strategically-placed warehouses since the war began, including: In some of the refugee-receiving countries, our established partnerships through our longstanding UNICEF country programmes have fostered an effective collaboration with each government, as well as our networks of National Committees. In other countries, response teams have been deployed to support the hosting governments to address the needs of refugees. With over 100 partnerships with host governments, civil society and youth networks at regional and national levels, we continue to expand our close relationships as well as foster new multi-country relationships. European cities like Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava and Budapest have demonstrated unprecedented solidarity in welcoming refugee children and families from Ukraine. For example, UNICEFs partnership with Eurocities - a network of more than 200 large cities in Europe - aims to ensure children and families fleeing the war in Ukraine receive the support they need and are integrated and empowered to contribute to their host communities. 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 5 Our partners UNICEF staff Evolving zonal differentiated response strategy In Ukraine, in the early stages of the war, we employed a zonal approach to the humanitarian response, dividing the country into three zones. In Zone 1, in the south-east of Ukraine, which was characterized by intense and sustained war and constrained access, we worked with mobile rapid response teams and inter-agency convoys in humanitarian corridors. Fifty per cent of all WASH, health, child protection and education supplies were prepositioned therein to support children, women and other vulnerable people, including the displaced. In Zones 2 and 3 in the central and western regions, we worked with existing national systems, and collaborated and engaged with local and regional municipal authorities and civil society organizations to implement the humanitarian response. Currently, we are implementing a two zone approach - Zone 1 (in the south-east) and Zone 2 (in the central and western parts). As the war continues, our zoning is envisaged to change dependent on areas of conflict, access issues, existing resources, the efforts of government, and multi-sectoral support and outreach services. When the war escalated in Ukraine, 91 UNICEF Ukraine staff were on the ground, quickly readjusting to work out of shelters and basements amid power shortages coupled with their own personal uncertainty. Within weeks, we more than doubled our ground staff, and by the end of the year had reached 223 people working across the zonal offices. It is one of UNICEFs great strengths: in an acute humanitarian situation, as an organization we can quickly deploy experts from all over the world to support our country offices and the children who need us most. Our colleague Yulia dropped everything to support children fleeing war in Ukraine. This is her story. Working together with our partners across Europe, UNICEF is able to meet the needs of millions of refugees from Ukraine. But its the people of Ukraine who have been a core part of UNICEFs successful response: determined to survive this war and determined to support each other doing so. Health Water and sanitation 25,359 first aid kits 285,350 winter clothes sets 221,000 blankets125,000 mattresses 47 high-performance tents 19,751 school-in-a-box kits 13,748 recreation kits6,272 midwifery kits2,666 surgical kits314 wheelchairs220 hearing aids197 incubators 18.7 million diapers 258,825 hygiene kits 8,974 water tanks 37 water treatment plants 15 ambulances2 million vaccines Education Other items 442 oxygen concentrators and ventilators 9,928 early childhood development kits 1.75 million water purification tables https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEiq8GRafCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEiq8GRafCE https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Europe-Mayors-supporting-Ukrainian-children-1x1-MIX-2AMZIFQUM3I2.html https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Europe-Mayors-supporting-Ukrainian-children-1x1-MIX-2AMZIFQUM3I2.html 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 6 As the wars bombing and shelling destroyed homes, schools, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, children and their families were uprooted and sought safety in other parts of Ukraine and abroad. They made dangerous, strenuous and exhausting trips, often bringing only what they wore and could carry. They faced the risk of violence and trafficking, all shadowed by the uncertainty that lay ahead. Winter was particularly dreadful, made worse by power disruption as power stations were being destroyed. Blue Dot Hubs In refugee-receiving countries, UNICEF and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) established Blue Dot hubs. Strategically positioned, Blue Dots continue to provide critical information and services - a beacon of safety where children can play and rest while their parents prepare for the onward journey. Over 40 UNICEF-UNHCR Blue Dot hubs and mobile teams have provided a safe space to 1.2 million refugees. In addition, the Digital Blue Dot platform was launched to enhance cross-boundary information exchange. Blue Dots continue to help identify and register children traveling alone, and connect them to appropriate protection services. In Poland, 529,477 people benefited from Blue Dot integrated services, including specialized treatment by mental health professionals who speak Ukrainian. Bulgarias six Blue Dot hubs reached over 58,000 children and adults with child-friendly space, legal aid and Helping children forget about the war Elena fled to Chisinau in April with her children from Mykolaiv, on the frontlines of the war. We always slept dressed. I didnt know how the night would end. Across from our balcony, there were rifles and military vehicles. When soldiers shot, the house shook. That was very scary I crossed the border on foot. When we finally arrived in Moldova, the Blue Dot workers asked us what we needed. I got help, for which I am grateful. They also had clothes, toys, notebooks, and books. Games, developmental activities, and sports helped my children forget a little about the war.Now she herself is a social worker at the Blue Dot, where her sons paint and play football with other teenagers as she works. As long as peace awaits, Elena is grateful to be able to help other Ukrainian people. They smile and leave happy, she proudly shares. ...the Blue Dot workers asked us what we needed. I got help, for which I am grateful. Integrated response - Blue Dots, Splinos and mobile response teams POLAND8 Blue Dots MOLDOVA11 Blue Dots BULGARIA6 Blue Dots SLOVAKIA3 Blue Dots ITALY2 Blue Dots Blue Dots have reached 548,369 people (179,265 children and 369,102 adults) with integrated services. Over 49,495 people, 50 percentof them children received multi-sectoral assistance andprotection activities. Over 17,940 children and 40,307adults accessed child-friendly spaces, legal aid, and mental health support. Over 80,000 children and caregivers received protectionand mental health services. HUNGARY4 Blue Dots Over 3,800 children accessed services at four Blue Dots, including safe space, protection, legal counseling,and referals. ROMANIA7 Blue Dots 150,000 people have sought respite at these first established Blue Dot Hubs. 10,725 people including 3,209children received assistance including mental health support. Programmatic results for children counselling; 80,000 children and their caregivers received similar services in Slovakia. At the onset of winter, Belarus established its first Blue Dot Hub at the border of Brest to prepare for new refugee movements. U NIC EF/ UN 0622 178/ Adr ian Hol erga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjAgIpsP1Ac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjAgIpsP1Ac Spilno Child Spots In Ukraine, Spilno Child Spots were created as a safe haven for children caught in the middle of war, to provide services including access to protection, mental health and psychosocial support, WASH supplies, health, learning and recreation. In total, over 300 Spilno Child Spots and outreach teams have provided integrated services for displaced children and their caregivers. Since 24 February, weve worked with 90 partners to reach 3.2 million individuals, including 1.2 million children, with child protection services in Ukraine; and working with partners, weve reached 1.96 million children and caregivers with psychosocial support though art therapy, safe spaces and individual psychological consultations. About 126,298 children benefited from case management social work and referrals based on a case plan tailored to their specific needs. With the start of winter, over 55 Spilno Child Spots were re-purposed to respond to protect children from the harsh winter through provision of warm clothing and mobile heaters. Multidisciplinary Mobile Teams In Ukraine, access to areas in the south and east remain limited, unpredictable and dangerous, yet residents there have the greatest humanitarian needs in the country, often fearing for their lives with no protection mechanisms for children and their families. Multidisciplinary Mobile Teams are trained emergency response units deployed to provide immediate support to children and families in hard-to-reach areas in a humanitarian crisis. UNICEF uses Multidisciplinary Mobile Teams, comprised of 70 members, and inter-agency humanitarian convoys to access populations in areas restricted by the security situation. They are able to support health, nutrition, child protection and WASH needs, among others, reaching over 930,000 people with integrated services and referring about 39,000 children and their caregivers to specialized services such as legal aid and health care. As winter descended, they distributed winter items including blankets, clothes and shoes to 500,000 children living in the frontline areas. In 2023, UNICEF will continue providing an array of services through Spilno Child Spots and UNICEF-UNHCR Blue Dot hubs. As preparation for surges of internally displaced and refugee movements, UNICEF continues to work with technical, policy and political institutions to strengthen national, local and cross-border protection systems. Ukrainian health workers, psychologists and education professionals are continually integrated in the response where possible, while frontline workers are trained and informed in child protection measures such as gender-based violence protection and inclusive education. In Ukraine, UNICEF mobile teams are helping families to cope amid war. A multidisciplinary mobile team is a rapid response team that provides psychosocial support for vulnerable families and children. Each team consists of a psychologist, a social worker, a lawyer and a doctor. Mobile teams work in support centres for internally displaced people and the liberated territories of Ukraine. They travel by car to the places where help is needed, but also provide remote consultations. 15-year-old Dasha is living in Izyum, Ukraine. For six months, she and her family endured isolation, starvation and fear. The main thing is that we all remain together, that none of us had to bury and grieve their loved ones, says Dasha. However, not everything has survived the ongoing violence the familys apartment has been destroyed by a bombardment and Dashas mother, who suffers from asthma, has struggled due to the lack of medication. Dasha now suffers from anxiety. Dasha was relieved when a UNICEF mobile team called on the family and asked how they could help. Some people have a plan when they arrive, but many of the families need to decide what to do next. In this context, the information we are providing is crucial. Tavita, a Blue Dot volunteer at the Przemysl train station in Poland. Its like were returning to them the feeling of normalcy. These children had to flee their homes, leaving their schools, friends and even families. Here, a child can remember what normal childhood is. Maria Artanova, UNICEF Crisis Response Specialist 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 7 U NIC EF/ UN 0773 88/A leks ey F ilipp ov In Ukraine, since 24 February 2022, almost 5 million children and women have been able to access primary health care in UNICEF-supported facilities and through mobile teams. A half a million caregivers of children under 2 years old have received infant and young child feeding counselling. Our pre-positioned supplies include 30,000 medical kits catering to emergencies, obstetrics and midwifery, and other medical equipment such as ventilators, sterilizers and oxygen concentrators. Our mobile outreach teams helped over 402,000 people in severely affected areas, such as Zhytomyrska Oblast, access quality care at home. They provided mental health support to over 15,000 people across 22 oblasts. In refugee-response countries, our response has reached over 433,700 women and children, and first aid kits and other essential health items were available to 104,400 people. Our health promotion services reached 40,224 parents and guardians in Moldova, 94,000 in Romania, 43,000 in Slovakia and 30,479 people in Croatia. Immunization Even before the war escalated, Ukraine had among the lowest routine immunization rates in the world, a shortage of vaccine supplies and frequent outbreaks of measles, polio, tetanus, and diphtheria. But child vaccination rates had risen from 63 per cent in 2014 to 88 per cent in 2019 - progress that now risks dangerous reversal. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has faced widespread disruption to healthcare services, including childhood and COVID-19 immunization programmes. UNICEF has been at the forefront of engaging with parents, health professionals and communities to increase immunization rates in Ukraine as well as refugee-response countries. Alongside our emergency and routine care, we have supported the procurement and delivery of vaccines. We have supported the Government of Ukraines immunization campaign delivering 700,000 doses of tetanus-diphtheria vaccine and 600,000 oral polio vaccine doses. In Poland and Moldova, UNICEF has procured over 550,000 vaccine doses. In 2023, UNICEF is seeking $119.9 million to continue its lifesaving and health and nutrition system-strengthening response to reach 5.4 million children and families. In 2023 and beyond, we will work with implementing partners to strengthen existing health care systems, including: the rehabilitation and reconstruction of health infrastructure; supporting skills of health professionals, parents, caregivers and the community; and strengthening our supply chains and the reach of our services. Increasing immunisation rates remains a priority, as well as ensuring access to primary healthcare and health and nutrition supplies, and promoting healthy infant and young-child feeding. We will continue to support Ukraines neighbouring countries health workforces with skill training and supportive supervision. Health and Nutrition UNICEF helps hospitals across Ukraine to provide quality medical care to mothers and their children 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 8 Supplies provided to 1,005 health care facilities and maternity houses in Ukraine Infant and young child feeding counselling to 508,245 caregivers in Ukraine Mobile response strengthened through provision of 15 ambulances to eight oblasts in Ukraine Four shelters in paediatric and maternity hospitals reconstructed in Lviv region 1,000,000 rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 delivered; 700,000 doses of tetanus-diphtheria vaccine in Ukraine 209,720 inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) doses delivered in Ukraine Mobile health teams reached 15,000 women and children in Romania Primary healthcare services provided to 48,947children, women and other family members in Slovakia On 18 August 2022, in Krakow, Poland, 6-year-old Mykyta shows the arm where he was vaccinated at the UNIMED medical center. He left the Kyiv region of Ukraine on 2 March 2022 with his family, escaping the ongoing conflict. U NIC EF/ UN ICE F/U N07 1524 /Str ek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W14s-qB8aiE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W14s-qB8aiE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W14s-qB8aiE Education In Ukraine, thousands of primary and secondary schools have been damaged or destroyed among the many factors constraining Ukraines 5.3 million students from an education. An estimated three out of four students are studying online, dealing with limited internet connectivity and frequent power cuts. Through our Back-to-Learning initiative, UNICEF has equipped 1,000 hub schools with education supplies catering to more than 500,000 children. We support the All-Ukrainian School Online platform for distance and blended learning: 333,000 Ukrainian students and 135,000 teachers have registered on Ukraines essential digital-learning infrastructure. In refugee-response countries, we enhance existing systems to meet new demand. In Poland, learning materials, laptops and tablets have been distributed to schools reaching about 358,584 children; in Romania, 15,772 children received education supplies including school-in-a-box kits and books; in Slovakia, 10,000 Ukrainian children were enrolled in schools and a further 10,000 provided with language learning materials. Psychosocial support and education When children are out of school, they not only lose access to education - their safety, stability, friendships, and vital social development are compromised. Conflict-related trauma and psychological stress have an impact on learning capacity - 15 per cent of students in over 100 educational institutions have discontinued their studies because of deteriorating mental health. Our reach for students mental health and wellbeing have facilitated psychosocial support for 3.3 million children and caregivers. In training 99,000 teachers we aim to steer their focus towards supporting childrens psychosocial needs while parents in affected regions will continue to receive tools to support their childrens learning during difficult and challenging times. Our programmes are further addressing learning and social skills, integrating psychosocial interventions, and engaging families and communities to support childrens emotional welfare. UNICEF is seeking $174.9 million to ensure that 5 million children and adolescents can continue learning through to December 2023. In 2023, UNICEF will focus on strengthening education systems with two key priorities: back to learning and restoring mental health. Embedded in these priorities are learning continuity for every child, especially those who are displaced or affected by conflict. UNICEF will continue to support education and early childhood services in schools, homes and communities; rehabilitate facilities; and use our training programmes to build teachers and parents skills. 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 9 Schools and early childhood education settings provide a crucial sense of structure and safety to children, and missing out on learning can have lifelong consequences. - Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Olena, a teacher and mother of four children, remembers the sound of rockets in Odesa on February 24, when her husband opened the window and said, Listen, the war began. My daughter ran from room to room, shouting Mom, there are bombs here. She and her children found safety in Moldova where for two months she was liv-ing like a robot. Then she started helping refugee chil-dren from Ukraine. UNICEF and local partner Step by Step have organized educational activities at a puppet theatre in Chisinau where 15,000 children have participated in language, math, art therapy and dance classes taught by Olena and nine other teachers from Ukraine. These children have lost almost all connec-tions with their life in Ukraine, Olena explains. By participating in these activities, they return to their childhood, to what once belonged to them. When I came here, I received hope, a warm touch. My oldest daughter started learning Romanian, my youngest daughter made a lot of friends. Thanks to this project, I recaptured her big smile. Im grateful to have the opportunity to continue my work, because I can continue my life. U NIC EF/ UN 0698 332/ Uho v There are a lot of memories here, and it seems were left without these moments with our friends. I hope my school will be rebuilt and these children who just entered elementary school will be studying here and enjoying it. - Anastasiia, a 16 year student from Selydove, Ukraine. https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Olena--a-mother-of-four-and-teacher-from-Ukraine--found-safety-in-Moldova-EN-1*1-2AMZIF7AN24S.html https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Olena--a-mother-of-four-and-teacher-from-Ukraine--found-safety-in-Moldova-EN-1*1-2AMZIF7AN24S.html The displacement of 13.6 million people in and beyond Ukraine has triggered, among other things, mass unemployment in Ukraine. The loss of livelihoods and rising poverty rates have left families unable to afford basic necessities or essential supplies, such as warm clothes and fuel for heating. Within the humanitarian sector, there is global consensus that cash transfers are often more cost-efficient and effective than distributing supplies - a crucial short-term safety net for vulnerable families facing financial hardship, helping them to meet their basic needs with dignity and the freedom to prioritize their needs. In Ukraine, since the launch of our cash transfer programmes in March 2022, UNICEF has distributed $290 million to over 224,303 households. In refugee-response countries, we have been working with government social protection systems to scale up cash transfers. For example, in Moldova, with other United Nations partners and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, we scaled up government assistance by $37 per household, covering the winterization needs of 80,000 Moldovan and refugee households. Winterization In Ukraine, UNICEF and the government are currently implementing winterization activities with $137.6 million of prepositioned humanitarian supplies in Ukraine and a procured $21 million worth of winterization supplies. Working with our partner, the Association of Ukrainian Cities, we have provided 31 municipalities with funds for winter clothing, water heaters and generators to distribute in frontline and newly accessible areas, such as Kharkiv, Kherson and Donetsk oblasts. In 2023, UNICEF is seeking $443.8 million worth of cash transfers to reach 276,686 households in Ukraine and refugee-response countries. In 2023, UNICEF will continue to strengthen social protection systems in Ukraine and in refugee-response countries as well as support direct cash transfer programmes that allow families to recover their means of sustenance and livelihoods. Our verification exercises help target interventions, and we develop cash transfer standards and establish criteria for refugee-response countries to support their cash transfer programmes. Social Protection Eight-year-old Eva, whose home was destroyed by the war, poses for a photograph in Irpins Dubky modular town where she shares a 10 square metre room with her mother and sister amid power outages, heating problems, a lack of mobile communication and internet access. Eva has chronic bronchitis, for which she cannot receive proper treatment and due to limited electricity, it is impossible to use a nebulizer. Eva has a constant runny nose and cough because we freeze here and there. I dont take my child to school now because I dont want her to get sick, her mother explains. To support children like Eva this winter, UNICEF provided cash assistance to families in addition to winter items such as clothing, boots and blankets. In Moldova, 2,379 refugee households benefited from UNICEF and UNHCR cash assistance. In Belarus, in partnership with Belarus Red Cross and Belarus Post Office, UNICEF delivered cash support to over 2,300 individuals.Cash payments have been delivered to 125 households in Hungary and 131 households in Bulgaria. UNICEF delivered cash benefits to 2,374 Ukrainianhouseholds for education assistance in Slovakia. 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 1 0 Oleksandr and Veneras 2-year-old son, Makar, has Downs syndrome. With the war, Oleksandr lost his job and couldnt afford even basic necessities. UNICEFs cash assistance helped them buy diapers, food, medicine and educational toys as well as pay rent and utilities, and now Makar can start developmental classes with specialists. U NIC EF/ UN 0769 387/ Sid ash U NIC EF/ UN 0760 47/ O lena Hro m Child Protection 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 1 1 Children exposed to war experience shock, trauma and despair. Those fleeing across borders are at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation including illegal adoption, child trafficking and sexual abuse. For those remaining in Ukraine, seeking safety in shelters and moving to other parts of the country causes considerable duress. Timely and sustained mental health and psychosocial support services are essential for children and caregivers to endure and recover from the trauma theyve experienced in the last 365 days. With UNICEF support, psychologists, often Ukrainian volunteers, have offered services at Blue Dots, Spilno Child Spots, with mobile teams and through a mental health support programme (PORUCH) reaching those in need, both online and in person. In Ukraine, more than 3.3 million children and families received support to foster their mental health, including an estimated 357,963 children with disabilities. Over 12,140 professionals and humanitarian workers have been given the opportunity or venue to work with children playing sports or doing art, helping war-affected children work through fears and find new ways of coping. UNICEF and partners helped to identify, document and offer services to over 100,000 children who were either unaccompanied or separated from their families and guardians, identified by multi-disciplinary teams, hotline inquiries and monitoring children who had been evacuated from residential care. Some 3,406 families were trained to provide temporary care during efforts to trace and rejoin these children with their families. In refugee-hosting countries, UNICEF has brought mental health services to 840,000 children and their caregivers, including over 275,000 refugees in Poland from social service workers supported by UNICEF. UNICEF, partners and host governments helped identify over 32,000 children and facilitated their safe return to their families; 10,000 of them were provided with alternative care that ensured their safety and well-being. Gender-Based Violence In the last 365 days, women have especially carried the burden of war. They face physical danger, sexual abuse and exploitation and violence while on the move. In Ukraine, Spilno Child Spots and integrated mobile teams have reached 400,019 women and children with services to prevent and address issues of gender-based violence. Of these, 29,500 adults accessed specialized services provided by health, social and legal institutions; and 43,700 adults who had experienced gender-based violence were able to access mental health and psychosocial services. In refugee-response countries, 311,000 women and children received health, social and legal services to prevent and address issues of gender-based violence through the blue dots. UNICEF is seeking $162 million to reach 4 million children and their caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support services. In 2023, in Ukraine, the child protection programme will focus on case management of unaccompanied and separated children, those in institutional care, victims of mine action and those placed in alternative care. In refugee-response countries, UNICEF will strengthen national governments and municipalities to provide a supportive environment for refugee children including unaccompanied and separated children, children with disabilities and those evacuated from institutions Together with stakeholders, UNICEF will scale up the Blue Dots and expand the use of the Digital Blue Dot. My goal is to provide children with a feeling of relief, to help them make friends, communicate and feel safe. Diana Seamber, Psychologist PORUCH programme I love football! exclaims 12-year-old Nastya, who fled Kyiv to a small village in western Ukraine with her mother. I used to have week-ly football classes back home and here I am doing it again, making new friends... Lets run to the kindergarten! Young Ukrainian children with developmental risks and delays together with their parents are finding the support they need in Slovakia U NIC EF/ UN 0769 387/ Sid ash 11-year old Margaryta and her mother are mastering new wheelchair, provided by UNICEF, in Lviv, Ukraine. https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Children-taking-part-in-the-PORUCH-project--Ukraine-1x1-MIX-2AMZIF99UT_D.html https://www.unicef.org/eca/run-to-kindergarten https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Children-taking-part-in-the-PORUCH-project--Ukraine-1x1-MIX-2AMZIF99UT_D.html https://weshare.unicef.org/archive/Children-taking-part-in-the-PORUCH-project--Ukraine-1x1-MIX-2AMZIF99UT_D.html https://www.unicef.org/eca/run-to-kindergarten The destruction of power and water supply systems has rendered many regions of Ukraine dark and without water for households, schools and hospitals. This increases the dangers of water-borne disease outbreaks, putting lives at risk, especially as hygiene and sanitation standards deteriorate. In refugee response countries, population surges put pressure on refugee accommodations and facilities. In Ukraine, since the war escalated, UNICEF has ensured access to safe water for 5.6 million people; 560,000 have received emergency water by delivery of bottled water and water trucking. In November alone, an estimated 87,000 displaced people staying in community centres and temporary shelters in Luhansk, Kharkiv and Dnipro received safe drinking water. UNICEF supported the procurement of 14.25 tons of liquefied chlorine for the Kharkiv Vodokanal water system for water purification, providing 900,000 people with safe drinking water. More than 3.9 million people have access to safe water from rehabilitated, repaired and equipped water systems that were destroyed by the war, and 1.6 million people received WASH supplies, including menstrual hygiene, hygiene kits and winter items, to prevent disease outbreaks due to poor hygiene practices and improper waste disposal among internally displaced populations. In refugee-response countries, UNICEF reached over 100,000 people (66,000 in Poland) with safe and adequate water and hygiene services. More than 55,000 children accessed sanitation facilities and services including hygiene kits, menstrual health kits and winter items such as shoes, clothes and blankets as the temperatures dropped. In Bulgaria, 9,700 refugees received winter items and 5,081 people received WASH supplies. In Moldova, UNICEF ensured that Blue Dot hubs and other child-friendly spaces had adequate heating devices and that WASH infrastructure was protected from freezing temperatures. In 2023, UNICEF is seeking $150.5 million to provide safe drinking water to over 5.7 million people. Working through water utility company partnerships we established in Ukraine in 2022, UNICEF will continue working to repair and rehabilitate damaged water infrastructure in accessible areas in 2023. Evaluation and research will continue to monitor impact. As cluster lead, UNICEF will conduct close and agile coordination with national and municipal authorities, 47 member organizations and their 85 implementing partners to best support local systems and skills to deliver WASH interventions. Across the borders, UNICEF will continue to support the Blue Dot hubs to have appropriate WASH infrastructure, critical hygiene supplies and appropriate messaging as part of integrated services. In preparation for increased refugee movements, UNICEF will procure and preposition critical WASH supplies to enable scaled response at border points. WASH 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 1 2 I am proud of the commitment of local officials doing every possible work to maintain water supply during these difficult times. UNICEF has prioritized providing the backup power and much needed consumables for these critical facilities. Together with our partners, with oblast authorities, we work to ensure that families have continuing access to water and to health care services. Murat Sahin, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine In the early days of the war, Borodianka, a small town outside of Kyiv, witnessed fierce fighting which destroyed 90 per cent of the downtown, 350 private residential buildings, 700 apartments, and important infrastructure facilities. The municipal chief engineer was among those who risked his life amid shelling to repair damage of the modular citys water supply and sewage system. UNICEF, working with Borodianka Heat and Water Utility, purchased five power generators, en-abling water and sewage disposal, even in the absence of electricity. U NIC EF/ UN 0765 267/ Ale ksey Fili ppov U NIC EF/ UN 0765 278/ Ale ksey Fili ppov Social Behaviour Change and Accountability to Affected Populations 12 M onth Res pons e U pdat e | 1 3 Individuals and families sometimes hold beliefs and practices that hinder uptake of certain services, for example myths around vaccines for children or reluctance towards mental health services by adolescents. Such circumstances can be made worse when refugees are in unfamiliar cultural and social settings, especially with a foreign language. Disinformation accompanied by rising costs of living can create tension between refugees and their host communities. Unchecked, this may heighten risks of abuse, violence and discrimination. In Ukraine, UNICEF has disseminated information to over 13 million people, such as on how to access services and explosive ordnance risk. Campaigns were carried out on social media, digital platforms, at train stations and border crossing points. In person, UNICEF reached 670 centres for the internally displaced. More than 4.5 million people accessed information on vaccination and 450,000 pregnant women accessed online materials on breastfeeding. At Spilno Child Spots, edutainment campaigns were rolled out to support learning and social cohesion for displaced children and host communities. Other interactive learning platforms were used to provide alternative learning, for example the NUMO app that provided child-friendly content reached 4.6 million people. Gathering from our experience in countries around the world that host refugees, the strain of a refugee population amidst national economic stress, such as inflation and fuel crises, may begin to grow. In refugee-response countries, UNICEFs communication campaigns promote coexistence and create understanding around refugees. Our programmes ensure equitable access to services by refugees and host communities. With our partners, UNICEF has reached over 15 million people with such messaging, especially on access to services. Blue Dots; a digital platform in Poland; Viber messaging in Moldova; and social networks in Belarus are among the many ways we reach out and inform. In Moldova, UNICEF partnered with the National School of Public Health to track issues related to refugees to mitigate tensions and strengthen social cohesion. UNICEF launched an online campaign with social cohesion messages reaching 256,000 and engaging 1,700 people in host communities in Romania. UNICEF and Municipality of Praque conducted a campaign on social cohesion that reached over 27,000 people in Czech Republic. Our channels allow affected children and their caregivers to provide valuable feedback that we use to make the services and interventions better. We continue to build social cohesion among refugee and their host communities by advocating for equitable access to services, regardless of origin. To monitor accountability, UNICEF received and processed over 300,000 and over 140,000 unique inquiries and feedback messages via hotline, feedback forms, research and rapid assessments and other accountability instruments for Ukraine and refugee-response countries respectively. In 2023, UNICEF is ramping up the dissemination of explosive ordnance risk education as well as information on access to services, hygiene, routine immunization and ending institutional care of children in Ukraine. Ukrainian and Polish children speak the common language of friendshipHow a center in Warsaw for children with disabilities promotes inclusion In Romania, Lilia, 7 years old, is continuing her studies in a classroom for Ukrainian children, including for children with disabilities, supported by UNICEF. Lilia has a developmental delay, but thanks to UNICEFs support, she is tutored by her Ukrainian teacher and continues her learning with her Ukrainian peers. Kira is from Ukraine, Hania from Poland and Amalya is from Belarus and they are all good friends. In Poland together they attend UNICEF-supported kindergarten no. 52 in Biaystok. U NIC EF/ UN 0753 500/ Rek lajti s https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/ukrainian-and-polish-children-speak-common-language-friendship https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/ukrainian-and-polish-children-speak-common-language-friendship https://weshare.unicef.org/CS.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2AMZIFQMAU4V&POPUPPN=1&POPUPIID=2AMZIFQMRS8G&PN=1&IID=2AMZIFQMRS8G https://weshare.unicef.org/CS.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2AMZIFQMAU4V&POPUPPN=1&POPUPIID=2AMZIFQMRS8G&PN=1&IID=2AMZIFQMRS8G In 2023, under established humanitarian leadership structures, UNICEF will sustain and expand its flexible, adaptive response to the situation in Ukraine, including protection assistance, delivery of life-saving supplies, provision of essential services, enhancement of social service capacities, preparedness for additional displacements and support to government systems. Our essential work and programmes in Ukraine continually reinforce the links between emergency response and child-centred development and reconstruction, with robust contingency plans to adapt to an unpredictable political environment. In the east and south of Ukraine, where active conflict continues and access is constrained, UNICEF will continue to open humanitarian spacefor children - expanding our coverage to assure childrens access to services and working in partnership with local authorities, municipalities and non-government organisations. Spilno Child Spots will continue to connect internally displaced children and their families with the social services they need. And well continue to work with partners to reach youth with mental health support. It is a priority to keep children with their families and in family settings. To do so, UNICEF will continue family tracing and reunification, as well as case management of children who are unaccompanied, separated or in institutions. Cash support remains a priority, particularly for foster families, as we continue to work with non-government organizations. This vital program is harmonized with other United Nations agencies, helping to ensure that families can take care of their children in dignified conditions given the level of severe economic hardship. In the rest of the country, where access is less constrained, UNICEF will continue to advocate so that child services are included in the countrys early recovery and reconstruction plans. We ensure to meet childrens needs immediately and into the future. We continue to collaborate with partners to strengthen the systems that support childrens health and education - such as early childhood education and child protection, to ensure all children whether displaced within the country, or as refugees have equitable access to services. By reaching the most vulnerable children - those with disabilities or in institutional care, for example we assure that no child is left behind. In response to the needs of Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries, UNICEF supports each countrys specific response
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