LAST UPDATE: 12:25
More than half of children in Ukraine have been forced to flee their homes due to insecurity and the conflict that erupted after Russia invaded the country on February 24, Unicef announced today.
“During a month of war in Ukraine, 4.3 million children were displaced, more than half of the estimated 7.5 million child population,” Unicef said in a statement.
Some 1.8 million children have crossed the border to seek refuge in neighboring countries, and 2.5 million are internally displaced.
“The war caused one of the largest-scale deportations of children since World War II,” said Kathryn Russell, UNICEF Secretary-General.
“It is a sad reality that threatens to have long-term consequences for future generations. The safety of children, their well-being and their access to basic services are threatened by a horrific and incessant violence,” he added.
At least 81 children have been killed and 108 injured in Ukraine, according to the latest figures released by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Wednesday, which said the numbers were likely to be higher.
The war has had a devastating effect on political infrastructure and access to basic services. For example, 1.4 million people do not have access to drinking water.
“Destruction”
More than 450,000 children aged 6 to 23 months are in need of food assistance, Unicef said.
At the same time, the UN agency has noted a decline in vaccination coverage for children, mainly against measles and polio, and expressed concern that epidemics could soon break out, especially in overcrowded areas where people are fleeing to escape .
“Within weeks, the war had wreaked havoc on children in Ukraine,” Russell said.
“Children are in dire need of peace and protection. They need their rights to be respected. Unicef continues to call for an immediate ceasefire and the protection of children. The basic infrastructure on which children depend – including hospitals, “Schools and political buildings – should never be the target of attacks,” he said.
Unicef and its partners are working to provide humanitarian assistance to children in Ukraine and neighboring countries.
In Ukraine, Unicef has provided medical supplies to 49 hospitals in 9 provinces, including Kiev, Kharkiv, Lviv and Dnipro, and continues to distribute water and sanitation equipment to besieged communities.
In the coming weeks, the organization plans to start providing basic items to the most vulnerable families and to create specially designed spaces for children in key areas of Ukraine.
However, “despite intensive efforts to ensure safe, immediate and unhindered humanitarian access, serious difficulties remain in the most affected areas of the country,” Unicef concluded.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
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