Two years of full-scale war in Ukraine

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Since the escalation of war in February 2022 Ukraine’s children and their families have endured forced displacement, unthinkable loss and relentless violence.

Over the past two years, according to UNICEF estimates of the latest available data, children in Ukraine’s frontline areas have been forced to spend between 3,000 and 5,000 hours sheltering in basements as air raid alerts sound above. They have experienced prolonged disruption of schooling and routine, sparking a deep sense of loss, dread, fear and anxiety. These feelings, coupled with isolation manifest in ways that make it challenging for children to feel happiness, learn, and participate in everyday life.

The constant fear of death, injury and further loss is compounded by continuing attacks. Even when the bombing stops, the ground children walk on can cost them their lives, as mines and explosive remnants of war cover an estimated 30 per cent of the country.

Many children who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries are struggling to access education, health care, and protection services, and, as the war wages, face the prospect of long-term displacement and deprivation.

Despite their resilience, for many children inside and outside Ukraine, the war has wiped out two years of schooling, playtime with friends, and moments spent with loved ones, robbing them of their education and happiness, wreaking havoc on their mental state.

Ukraine’s children need this war to end and a sustained commitment and resources to be able to recover and reclaim their childhoods.