At least 1,993 children in Ukraine have been killed or wounded since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the UN’s children’s agency (UNICEF), reiterating calls for a ceasefire.
On average, at least two children lose their lives in Ukraine every day, UNICEF reported on Tuesday.
“Ukraine’s children urgently need safety, stability, access to safe learning, child protection services, and psychosocial support,” the agency said in a statement. “More than anything, Ukraine’s children need peace.”
Mental health impact: The war in Ukraine has “harmfully affected” the mental health and wellbeing of children, UNICEF said, adding that half of teenagers report trouble sleeping. At least one in five suffer intrusive thoughts and flashbacks.
Loss of education: Almost half of children enrolled in school in Ukraine have been robbed of in-person education, according to the report. Nearly one million children across the country cannot access any in-person learning “due to insecurity,” UNICEF added.
Earlier this year, CNN reported on Ukrainian children attending newly built bunker schools in the northern city of Kharkiv, as daily Russian strikes rained down overhead.
