Lights in the darkness
In the 365 days since the war escalated in Ukraine, UNICEF has been working with national and local authorities, as well as civil society organizations in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to deliver emergency assistance, access to education, health and mental health support, and life-saving information to children and their families. Varvara, Tymofiy and Diana are among the 1.4 million children who have continued learning in formal and non-formal education settings with the support of UNICEF. UNICEF has also supported more than 1 million children in accessing education in neighboring countries. Teachers like Anastasiia, who used to be the deputy principal of a private primary school in her hometown of Odessa, Ukraine, are using their valuable skills to keep refugee children learning. Anastasiia arrived in Bucharest, Romania after fleeing war in Ukraine with her two-year-old son Kyril. Blocks Anastasiia teaches children in Romania With the help of the Romanian Government and UNICEF’s school in a box kit – a portable classroom containing school supplies and materials for one teacher and 40 students – she and other Ukrainian teachers started a school for more than 200 Ukrainian refugee children aged 5 to 10. Children from Ukraine in a classroom in Romania Children from Ukraine in a classroom in Romania Anastasiia teaches children in Romania Anastasiia teaches English, Ukrainian, Math and Science, but also cares about her students’ emotional wellbeing. “Some of these children went through the horrible experience of living in a basement, seeing people dying, not having food and water for several days,” she says. “I don’t know how much time they will need to heal. They are full of hatred, but they are children, so I’m trying to give them the strength to stop hating”. To assist children and their families deal with the distressing effects of war and displacement, UNICEF has launched a toll-free helpline in seven countries – including Ukraine – in collaboration with Child Helpline. UNICEF has also adapted its parenting app “Bebbo” into Ukrainian and Russian languages to offer quality advice and tips to mothers and caregivers to help them care for their young children and support their own well-being. Yulia Yurova, UNICEF Communication Specialist, talks to a mother at the Spilno Child Spot in Kyiv, Ukraine UNICEF/ Antonina Latayko Over the past 365 days in Ukraine, UNICEF has provided access to healthcare for nearly 5 million people and access to safe drinking water to over 5.5 million people living in areas where networks have been damaged or destroyed. Over 3.3 million children and caregivers have received mental health and psychosocial support. A humanitarian cash-transfer programme has reached more than 220,000 households with multi-purpose cash assistance with a total value of over US$286 million. In refugee-hosting countries, UNICEF has helped over 1 million children access formal and non-formal education and more than 470,000 women and children access primary healthcare, including immunization. Over 1.2 million children and caregivers have received mental health and psychosocial support. A humanitarian cash-transfer programme has reached more than 53,000 households. Blocks UNI396415 UNICEF
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