Support Children and Families in Ukraine

Dear Friend,  

Three years in, the impacts of war in Ukraine continue to devastate children, theirfamilies, and their communities. The persistent conflict puts children at a greaterrisk of experiencing violence, disrupts their education, limits their access to criticalservices like healthcare and safe water, and strains their mental health to an extentfar beyond what we can quantify. About 1.5 million children are affected in regionson either side of the front line, and 3.7 million people remain displaced. AcrossEurope, there are nearly 6.2 million Ukrainian refugees who were forced to flee theirhomes and communities, leaving behind their livelihoods and their loved ones.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: HUMANITARIAN CASH TRANSFERS FORWINTERIZATION EFFORTS IN UKRAINE 

Daria, 33, sits with her daughters Polina, 12, and Milana, 7, in the house she recently moved to with her children and husband, fleeing the war in the Donetsk region. 

During the first week after their move, Daria cried every day. She stated that it was hard to explain to the childrenthat they might have to live without basic amenities like water. The family cannot yet afford better housing, so they try to tidy up the old house and prepare it for winter, which can be very harsh in the east of the country. 

To the family’s relief, UNICEF has provided them with humanitarian cash assistance to help them prepare for the winter ahead. “We received help from UNICEF and bought some coal,” says Daria. “With this money, we also bought a large five-hundred-liter tank. There is no water here, and we need to bathe the children and wash the dishes. The tank will give us the opportunity to have at least some water supply. Because I don’t know what this winter will be like.” 

As part of UNICEF’s winterization support program to help vulnerable families prepare for winter, almost 5,150 families in Ukraine’s Donetsk region—including more than 7,500 children—have received cash payments. Winterization cash assistance has also been provided to vulnerable families in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions. In total, UNICEF has financially supported more than 22,800 households in the target regions, covering more than 32,300 children, as of October 2024.

As the war in Ukraine continues to impactchildren both at home and abroad, we thankyou for your contributions. With yourgenerous support, UNICEF will continue toreach children impacted by this war withcritical services in health, nutrition, childprotection, WASH, and social protectionalongside government relief and recoveryefforts.Flexible funding from donors like you is vital.It allows UNICEF to remain in Ukraine andneighboring countries and adapt itsresponse to efficiently meet the emergingand ever-evolving needs of crisis-affectedchildren, especially in the face of uncertainty 

Sincerely, 

Arantxa Moreno

Dear Friend,

Children in Ukraine have endured more than two and a half years of violent conflict. In 2024 alone, an escalation in hostilities has led to missile strikes and drone attacks almost weekly. Schools and health facilities continue to be targets of these attacks in addition to key energy infrastructure, impacting crucial services like water and heating systems. School closures and limited access to devices and connectivity have led to the loss of learning, skills, and social development. Millions of people have been displaced from Ukraine into neighboring countries – Europe recorded more than six million refugees as of June 30 – and continue to face financial and shelter challenges in the countries into which they have been displaced.

Children in Ukraine have endured more than two and a half years of violent conflict. In 2024 alone, an escalation in hostilities has led to missile strikes and drone attacks almost weekly. Schools and health facilities continue to be targets of these attacks in addition to key energy infrastructure, impacting crucial services like water and heating systems. School closures and limited access to devices and connectivity have led to the loss of learning, skills, and social development. Millions of people have been displaced from Ukraine into neighboring countries – Europe recorded more than six million refugees as of June 30 – and continue to face financial and shelter challenges in the countries into which they have been displaced.

Thanks in part to your support, UNICEF is providing and improving access to critical services throughout Ukraine, including those related to water and sanitation, health care, child protection, and education. UNICEF continues to collaborate with and survey communities to ensure support services are as impactful and accessible as possible. From January to June 2024, UNICEF supported over 461,000 children and caregivers with crucial supplies for health facilities, including the provision of generators to ensure 337 of these facilities are able to operate without interruption during blackouts of increasing frequency. UNICEF has delivered hundreds of thousands of lifesaving vaccines to protect children and prevent the spread of disease in Ukraine. Also in the first half of 2024 within Ukraine, UNICEF supported 356,534 children through education interventions, including early learning, and increased investments in digital learning for the thousands of students who access education either partially or entirely through online modalities. UNICEF programs provided 361,424 people with mental health and psychosocial support services in the first half of 2024, and continue to support children and their families with psychosocial activities for children, child-friendly spaces, individual and group counseling, and resource-building for parents and caregivers. UNICEF reached nearly four million people with improved water and sanitation services from January to June 2024.

As part of the ongoing refugee response in neighboring countries during the same time period, UNICEF reached 32,984 women and children with primary healthcare, 268,098 children with formal and non-formal education, and nearly 7,000 people with critical water and sanitation supplies. UNICEF also reached nearly 143,000 children and caregivers with mental health support in the first half of 2024. UNICEF and partners continue to work together to address the holistic needs of children and their families as the war in Ukraine threatens their wellbeing.

Thank you for standing in solidarity with Ukrainian children during this challenging time. As a result of your support, children are better able to survive and thrive with dignity in the face of crisis. u.

In partnership,
Marisa Ferguson