Children in danger as winter looms amid renewed strikes in Ukraine | EUROtoday

Dozens of civilian casualties had been reported over the weekend and into Monday, with kids among the many injured, in keeping with UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

The hardest-hit areas embrace Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.

“Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that evacuations of civilians continue from frontline communities in the Donetsk region,” Mr. Dujarric instructed journalists in New York on Monday.

Between 24 and 26 October, greater than 900 individuals had been evacuated, he added, noting additionally that the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund has launched $13 million since May to help native and nationwide NGOs within the Kharkiv area, aiding almost 76,000 residents.

Roughly half of these reached are girls and women. Assistance has included money transfers, shelter, well being companies, water, sanitation, hygiene help and measures to stop gender-based violence.

‘You can’t see something’

Winterisation – offering lifesaving support to susceptible populations to guard them from chilly climate and harsh situations – is a significant concern, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns.

Kenan Madi, Chief of Field Operations UNICEF Ukraine, instructed UN News that households alongside the frontlines urgently want heating, heat clothes and different important provides.

“The attacks on infrastructure are impacting basic services – from hospitals to water utilities to district heating – making everyday life extremely difficult for children,” he mentioned.

“I just had a colleague who came back from Chernihiv,” he continued, including: “The only thing he told me was, ‘It’s really dark — you can’t see anything.’ Some rural areas are in total blackout. That’s what children are living through in Ukraine right now.”

ONE response

Amid these situations, UN companies proceed their efforts to achieve communities with support. UNICEF has offered entry to protected consuming water for 300,000 individuals in September alone and greater than three million nationwide thus far this yr.

Education stays disrupted: roughly 350,000 kids in frontline areas attend college in particular person, whereas over 400,000 comply with a blended schedule and round 280,000 proceed absolutely on-line.

To mitigate these disruptions, the company helps over 150 studying centres providing catch-up courses, social-emotional help and protected studying areas. It has additionally rehabilitated greater than 100 colleges and kindergartens since 2022with 42 further amenities underneath restore this yr.

Mental well being a precedence

Mental well being companies are additionally a precedence. Last month, UNICEF reached 16,000 kids and 25,000 caregivers in frontline areas with psychosocial help and over 300,000 individuals have obtained psychological well being help all through 2025.

Mr. Madi highlighted the human toll, referring to the challenges confronted by a mom of twins who’ve autism.

“She deserves to get the help she needs, but this is not the story of one person alone. There are many households who are struggling with their daily lives. There are many stories on the front lines and unfortunately year after year it is becoming harder for the people, especially children, and this is something which is very worrying for us.”