Exposure to conflict is cited as the most common risk for children. Even if children have access to a shelter, the shelter may not be safe. They are often found in dark, cold, damp basements. It smells of sewage and lacks basic sanitation.
Furthermore, according to Russian data reported by Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Luvova-Belova on April 4, 2024, at least 730,000 Ukrainian minors have been transferred to Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. arrived at.
The international community and Ukraine have called this an “illegal transfer” of children, and The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Livova Belova.
Ukraine has one of the highest rates of institutionalization of children in Europe, with over 100,000 children living in residential homes due to poverty, family instability or disabilities.
At least 29% of internally displaced persons are under the age of 18.
Due to the coronavirus and the war, children’s schooling has been suspended for more than four years, the equivalent of elementary school education in Ukraine. More than 600,000 children have no access to in-person learning at all. Nearly half of Ukraine’s children are receiving distance learning, but the persistent lack of internet, electricity and hardware makes it unsuitable as a long-term solution.
The closer children are to the front lines, the more they will rely on distance learning, but the more disruptions they may face. Approximately one in 10 schools is closed because the school was destroyed or damaged, or because there was no safe bomb shelter.
Finally, approximately half of Ukrainian refugee children living in neighboring countries are not enrolled in schools in the host country. Even if children attend school, the mental and emotional strain of life at war can have a disastrous effect on learning.
“It’s very difficult emotionally and morally. Regular air raids, power outages, lack of internet… Children are scared,” said a teacher in the Lviv region. The downstream effects of the destruction of children’s education have a huge impact on their future and the future of Ukrainian society.
Save the Children reports that almost all regions lack adaptive facilities such as ramps, toilets and classrooms, making physical access to education difficult for children with disabilities. There is. There is also a shortage of professionals and teachers to meet the special needs of these children.
Ukraine’s humanitarian response plan calls for a 45% education funding shortfall in 2024.
