The devastating toll of war on Ukraine’s children

ZAPORIZHZHIA/GENEVA, 21 February 2025 – “A staggering one in five children in Ukraine reported losing a close relative or friend since the escalation of the war three years ago. One in three children reported feeling so hopeless and sad that they couldn’t do their usual activities.

“These are the responses of more than 23,000 children who took part in a UNICEF-led survey released today and are a blunt reminder of the loss and grief that pervades childhood in Ukraine.

“Three years into the full-scale war, more than 2,520 children have been killed or injured, according to UN-verified numbers – the real number is likely far higher.

“And it’s getting worse. There was a 50 per cent increase in child casualties in 2024 compared to 2023.

“No place is safe. Schools, maternity wards and children’s hospitals have all been affected by attacks. Overall, some 780 health facilities and more than 1,600 schools have been damaged or destroyed, according to UN-verified data.

“In Odesa this week a health clinic providing care for 40,000 children, and a kindergarten serving 250 young children were severely damaged in an attack.

“When a children’s hospital is hit, a school shelled or an electric grid destroyed, children suffer even when they survive. Their well-being and development impacted yet again.

“Schools are places for children to learn and lifelines that provide a sense of safety, normalcy and hope for the future. Yet nearly 40 per cent of children across Ukraine study only online or through a mixture of in-person and remote classes.

“Today, I am talking to you from an underground school in Zaporizhzhia. Classrooms in basements and shelters like these have become the norm. This should not be the norm.

“The impact on education has been immense: Assessments record an average learning loss of two years in some subjects.

“UNICEF has been supporting the rehabilitation of shelters to make them as safe as possible. We have been training teachers and establishing catch-up classes to help children recover learning losses as quickly as possible.

“The impact on children’s development and mental health is equally worrying.

“Let’s not forget that children and young people across the east have lived through nearly 11 years of war.

“Like 18-year-old Daryna, who I first met five years ago in Zolote, an eastern mining town close to what was then the frontline.

“We recently re-connected near Dnipro where she has been displaced to. ‘I had plans for the future,’ she told me. ‘But the war ruined everything, now the future just doesn’t exist’ were her words.

“And there are still 3.7 million people internally displaced and more than 6.8 million living outside the country. In neighbouring host countries, half of Ukrainian school-aged children are not enrolled in national education systems.

“And while children and young people of all ages are at risk, those born when the escalation of war began are now turning three years old. They have spent their critical early years – when brains develop the fastest and the foundation for life is set – amid extreme stress and loss. This puts them at higher risk of psychological disorders and poorer physical health throughout life.

“The consequences can also be intergenerational. That’s why early intervention is so critical. Such as UNICEF-supported mobile teams, including counsellors who respond immediately after attacks, and home visits by nurses in frontline and other areas across the country that provide vital health and holistic care, including identifying developmental challenges and providing parenting guidance. We are working together with them not only on our humanitarian response but also through development efforts.

“We know that when we invest in early childhood health and development, there is a longer-term return of investment of 9:1. Improving access to and the quality of such services will also help create an environment that people will want to return to.

“We have seen how – despite the extreme challenges – Ukraine’s children, youth and families, as well as extraordinary social workers, teachers, and water technicians have demonstrated incredible resolve. We are working together with them not only on our humanitarian response but through development efforts.

“The underground school here in Zaporizhzhia is an initiative of the city authorities, using best practice designs provided by UNICEF.

“The ‘Better Care’ reform agenda – to ensure every child grows up in a family, not an institution – is not only happening in western Ukraine but here in frontline areas.

“Investing in children and young people across Ukraine is non-negotiable – not only because it’s the right thing to do for their protection and well-being – but for the future of Ukraine. What’s ultimately needed is a real and sustained peace in which every child can realize their rights.”

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Notes to Editors:

UNICEF child and adolescent survey is available here

Read the report here

Multimedia materials available here: https://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AM4080FDL1J

For more information, please contact UNICEF UK Media team at [email protected] or 0208 375 6030.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.

United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland).

For more information visit unicef.org.uk. Follow UNICEF UK on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.