Russia's attack on Ukraine has forced more than half of the country's children to flee their homes, the UN Children Agency said on Thursday, March 24th, calling it one of the largest child displacements since World War II.
According to UNICEF, about 4.3 million Ukrainian children out of a total of 7.5 million were displaced by the war. This includes 1.8 million children who have found refuge in neighboring countries and more than 2.5 million children who were internally displaced and are temporarily in safe regions of Ukraine.
UN observers in Ukraine have reported that 81 children have been killed and 104 injured since the Russian invasion began. But they emphasize that their assessment of civilian casualties is preliminary and the actual civilian casualties will be much higher.
"This is a grim milestone that could have long-term consequences for future generations. The safety, well-being of children and access to basic services are threatened by ongoing horrific violence," said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Director-General.
By March 10 the World Health Organization recorded 64 attacks on health facilities during the russian invasion. WHO director, Tedros Adhanom Gebreisus, added the WHO was checking reports of further attacks.
The United Nations estimates that 1.4 million people in Ukraine do not have access to safe water, 4.6 million Ukrainians have limited access to water or are at risk of losing it. More than 450,000 Ukrainian children aged 6 to 23 months need additional nutrition.