Europe and Central Asia

A wooden stick instead of a guitar; a backyard in a village instead of a stage; and the whole of Ukraine instead of an audience hall. That is how the first performance of 3-year-old Leo from Irpin looked like. Music became a source of joy for the boy during the war and evacuation. And thanks to the social media, his hobby uplifts the spirits of…

Nataliya’s family was one of the many caught up in the tragedy at Kramatorsk railway station in April, when a missile hit and injured hundreds who were fleeing fighting at home. 11-year-old Yaroslav was the only one to escape serious injury. Nataliya, who had taken her 11-year-old daughter Yana to the platform to get a cup of tea and left her son…

Tetiana was nine months pregnant when the war began in Ukraine. When the first air raid siren sounded, she and her eight-year-old daughter Hanna froze in fear. “The siren was deafening. I looked out the window and saw people running to the subway to hide. I was 37 weeks pregnant, so I decided to rush to the hospital, as I was afraid that an…, Fighting for the future , Little Hanna is the same age as the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. And her new sister Alina is the same age as the new war that swept the country in February. Their father Yaroslav works as an anesthesiologist at the perinatal center. "We were allowed to stay here as family members,” says Tetiana. “And we're grateful that we can remain here in…

The classroom where Tetiana Prystupa teaches today looks very different to the one where her pupils learned maths and physics before the war.  Now, in the workers’ locker room of a city metro station, explosions and gunfire echo from above as Tetiana takes the young children who are sheltering here through the basics.  "At first, I intended to…

"I used to study in first grade in Avdiivka. And I liked it. But then the war started. And it took my school away," says Vika, a schoolgirl. She was born 8 years ago under continuous shellfire in eastern Ukraine. The first time she prepared to go to school, she did so with explosions in the background . Since the full-scale war started, she lost…, Two sunless months, Vika’s family lived in Avdiivka, just a few kilometers from the frontline, so her whole life is inextricably intertwined with hostilities and mine threats. A school in their town became the only place of stability and peace.  "I had friends there. I used to draw, play, and study there. My favorite subjects were math and Ukrainian," says Vika. She…, Hope my school was not destroyed, After a days-long trip, the family found shelter in a small village in Cherkasy oblast. Hanna's relatives gave the family a part of a house. Here, Hanna hopes to start a new peaceful life with her kids.  "I like it here, there is a lot of space and the weather is good. In summer, we will go to a local river to swim. And there is no gun fire," Vika…

Ukrainian doctors continue saving lives, treating both illnesses and war wounds. Medical workers of many children's hospitals of Kyiv oblast have been working 24 hours a day since the war started. Their work is complicated by air raid sirens, shelling and lack of medicines and other medical supplies.  To cover the needs of doctors which have…, Surgeries amid the war, Dr. Naista examines one boy post surgery, advising that while the surgery seams are well tightened, he should wait for a bit before playing any sport. His patient is 10-year-old Yaroslav. During the last two months, Yaroslav has gone through a lot for his tender age. He and his relatives spent a week in a basement; he temporarily became displaced…, Hugs and prayers, Yaroslav's mother had to stay home with her two other kids, that's why Yana went with her brother to the hospital. The siblings survived a missile attack which happened nearby Boyarka. "When there is a shelling, he gets scared and hides under the bed or table. Here, in the hospital, he couldn't hide, that is why we were just laying there hugging…

Two months of war in Ukraine have taken a devastating toll on millions of lives. More than 7 million people are now displaced and nearly two-thirds of Ukraine’s children have been forced to flee. Many have seen things no child should ever see.  Inside Ukraine’s borders alone, there are now 3 million children in need of help and all of them…, Mykola, 15, hosts film screenings for displaced children , On 24 February, 15-year-old Mykola from Kyiv woke up to war. Walking over to the window, he heard gunshots, followed by an explosion. "The window opened with the power,” recalls Mykola. “I was blown through the room and against the closet. That was scary.” Terrified, he and his family fled to Vinnytsia, a city in western Ukraine. There, Mykola…, Ustym, 6, brings joy to children through music, Six-year-old Ustym, a flute player who attends music school in northwestern Ukraine, has always understood the power of music.  "I have a music-loving family,” he says. “My granddad plays double bass and grandma plays bandura. My mom Solomiya used to play piano."  Now, he and his father Roman, who works as a psychologist, are using music to bring…, Matviy, 5, helps families feel comfortable in Lviv, Five-year-old Matviy and his mother Maryna were forced to leave their home in Kyiv in early March because of the war. "We heard explosions,” says Maryna. “People started saying that the Russians were near. After we came out of the basement, my husband said: ‘That's it. You should go to Lviv on an evacuation train’. He himself remained in the city…

For almost a month, 84-year-old Valentyn’s family hid in the dark, damp basement of their home, in a desperate effort to avoid the war that raged above. "The three children, my granddaughters, came to live with me because their house was destroyed,” recalls Valentyn. “They thought it would be better, safer at my place. But it wasn't better, the…, Finding safety again, The family had hoped to move west to Ivano-Frankivsk to find a safe shelter for the children. But they had little money for accommodation or petrol. "All we could take were the children's clothes, documents and our dog, which the children love very much," says Maria. However, the family were soon able to find their feet again thanks to the cash…

Never even in his worst nightmares did 18-year-old Viacheslav imagine he would witness his own mother’s death. The war in Ukraine was just two month old when the two shells exploded next to Viacheslav and his 37-year-old mother Mariya in their village of Verkhnotoretske, Donetsk.  "The first shell fell just steps from us,” recalls Viacheslav. “I…

For nearly two weeks, Mykola and his family lived without access to water, food and medicines in the encircled city of Mariupol, in eastern Ukraine. As the war escalates, every day is a fight for survival for residents remaining in the besieged city without water and access to essential services. “Almost overnight, the lights, heat and water…

NEW YORK, 12 May 2022  - "Mr President, Excellencies and colleagues, I would like to express my appreciation to Ambassadors De La Fuente and Riviere for convening today’s meeting. I would also like to thank the United States for hosting this briefing during your Security Council presidency.  "It has been just one month since UNICEF last briefed…

Every morning, before the war, 12-year-old Arseniy would escort his younger sister to school, before riding the subway to his own classes. Now, as the violence rages around them, he attends by turning on his computer.  "I hope they do their homework,” says Antonina, his mother, anxiouly. “I still remind them, but I haven't checked for a long time…