One year into the conflict in Ukraine, children are still suffering

Nearly one year ago, I was at the border of Ukraine and Romania, watching people flee for their lives after the latest escalation of conflict in the region. Mainly women and children, these refugees entered Romania with what they could carry – a small suitcase, a backpack, a favourite toy, any official papers they could quickly gather and the warmest clothing they could find.

Imagine sleeping in a tent in this weather.?

World Vision helped meet refugees’ immediate needs for food, shelter and hygiene, starting with the neighbouring countries of Romania, Moldova and Georgia, where we already had operations. We then partnered with organizations within Ukraine to provide much-needed humanitarian aid. In the first 180 days of our response, we reached more than 277,000 people in need. The conflict has destroyed families, incomes, homes, infrastructure and childhood itself for those displaced within the country as well as those who fled to neighboring countries.

Almost eight million people, including five million children, were forced to flee Ukraine, leaving behind their families, friends and people they hold dear.

Behind each statistic are real people with real stories. I was privileged to hear many during my week-long visit. I remember meeting 14-year-old Aleksandr along with his mother and two younger sisters at a transit camp in Husi, Romania, not far from the border. We spent time with them as they played in the World Vision-run children’s space. We asked them what they took with them as they fled, and they showed us some special toys, which they showed us in the picture above. But it was after the portrait was done and we returned to their tent when Aleksandr showed what was most special to him. He clutched a battered ball cap—nothing special. Except it was deeply special to him, more than a toy, because it was given to him by his father when they left him behind at the border. He held the cap tightly, and it was clear in his eyes the pain of loss of his dad and how his world would never be the same.

Lasting scars

Indeed, for Aleksandr, his sisters and millions of children, the effects of these traumatic events can scar an entire generation. Studies show that in conflict-affected areas, one person in five (22 percent) could develop depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That’s why World Vision prioritizes the immediate psychosocial needs of children. In the first weeks of our response, we set up Child-Friendly Spaces right at the border, where children could have a safe place to play and where social workers and emergency psychologists, such as Melinda Endrefy, could help children process their emotions. It’s what we think of as psychological first aid and it has proven to be effective in reducing long-term mental health issues.

“[The children] understand the situation very well,” Melinda told me about the Ukrainian children she counselled. “But they need support; they need space where they can work on their trauma and share with others … To draw about it, to speak about it, that’s very healthy, mentally speaking.”

At the same time, World Vision worked alongside a network of service organizations to provide information and safe spaces to protect women and children from exploitation and abuse. We need to prioritize child protection because we know children,?particularly girls, are at high risk of being trafficked in emergency settings. (Learn more about the importance of child protection during emergencies in this report.)

A third stage of our response included providing refugees access to information, health services, and education. According to UNOCHA, over 3.6 million children have been affected by school closures and attacks. Offering education in emergencies is particularly close to my heart because education can unlock potential, empower children, shift the balance of gender equity and even save lives. Almost 28,000 children are benefitting from World Vision’s educational programs in Ukraine and thousands have received medical supplies.

One year later

Five million children are still displaced inside and outside Ukraine one year after the conflict began. To date, World Vision has disbursed approximately US$29.8 million and provided:

• Food to 344,299 people
• Shelter to 36,941 people
• Child protection programming to 15,271 children
• Educational programming to 27,991 children
• Hospital supplies to 4,005 people
• US$15 million in cash and vouchers to 94,817 people

These efforts are only possible because of the generosity, support and prayers of thousands of donors, and a commitment to global collaboration and partnerships.

Ukraine’s emergency is just one of many for children

Even as we mark this grim one-year anniversary for the start of this round of the conflict in Ukraine, we also know that children in other parts of the world are also suffering—with some worsened by the impact of the violence in Ukraine. Increasing fuel, fertilizer, and wheat costs, exacerbated by port closures, sanctions and trade restrictions arising from this conflict, are supercharging a global hunger crisis. These factors have the terrifying potential to cause mass starvation in multiple nations worldwide.

One hunger hotspot is Somalia, hit by a years-long drought and the skyrocketing price of food. On Feb. 9, 2023, the UN and the Somalia Federal Government announced a US$2.6 billion appeal for 2023 to save about 7.6 million people from starvation. World Vision International launched one of its largest appeals to generate funds. For our part in Canada, World Vision Canada raised more than $603,000 to prevent hunger during our appeal in June.

Somalia is just one example of the domino effect of the conflict in Ukraine. Around the world, nearly 50 million people face starvation if they do not quickly gain access to urgent, life-saving assistance.

I continue to pray for peace and that this will be Ukraine’s the last anniversary of conflict, but World Vision and our partners will help as long as we’re needed—in Ukraine, in neighbouring countries and where children are facing violence, hunger and need around the world.