Introduction
The war in Ukraine began in 2014, when the Russian Federation took over Crimea and occupied the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
On 24th February 2022, the full-scale invasion prompted a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions and ongoing fighting has forced thousands of families and their children to flee.
The ongoing bombardments and attacks on civilians have left millions of children traumatised and living in constant fear.
Millions of families have been internally displaced and had their lives torn apart, with children not knowing if and when they will be able to return to school or return home.
What is the population of Ukraine?
44 million (before the war)
What is the national language in Ukraine?
Ukrainian
What is the capital city of Ukraine?
Kyiv
*Red pins show areas where we work.
What is happening in Ukraine today?
Following the full-scale Russian invasion, the war in Ukraine continues to have a devastating impact. Ukraine has faced ongoing bombardments, many of which have been targeting civilians - breaching international law.
As key infrastructure is attacked, access to basic essentials like gas, food, water or electricity are at risk. Tragically, 6.6 million civilians have been internally displaced, and over 7 million have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries like Poland, Romania, Hungary and Moldova to seek shelter and safety. 13 million have been left stranded in dangerous areas. While Ukraine forces have been able to successfully recapture certain regions, Russia continues to launch airstrikes on civilians, targeting bridges, apartments and hospitals, putting innocent lives at risk.
A brief overview of how we have helped
- In Ukraine, we have been dispatching mobile teams to reach frontline areas to support children and families with urgent mental health needs; individual and group counselling; art and music therapy; support to kindergartens that were looted during the occupation.
- Operations in Moldova (the poorest country in Europe) have included work on mental health and meeting basic needs for vulnerable children and families in host community as well as refugees.
- Operations in Romania have been focused on education.
- Operations in Hungary have been focused on ensuring that some of the most vulnerable children, such as Roma refugees, receive crucial mental health and education services.
Information on Roma
The Roma are a marginalized group and face discrimination in their host country which can make seeking aid difficult. We have found that Roma children are unable to access support in neighbouring countries and face discrimination seeking aid, like education, food vouchers and clothing. We are working with this community to help support their urgent needs and ensure that these children and their families are not forgotten.
