This winter is predicted to be the toughest yet for children and their families since the full-scale war broke out almost three years ago due to a combination of weather conditions, infrastructure damage, power blackouts and a lack of access to essential services such as healthcare.
KYIV, 13 November 2024 – Children living in homes damaged by the war in Ukraine are at risk of exposure to sub-zero temperatures and health complications including hypothermia, as the first cold snap of the winter season hits the country this week bringing freezing conditions, Save the Children said.
This winter is predicted to be the toughest yet for children and their families since the full-scale war broke out almost three years ago due to a combination of weather conditions, infrastructure damage, power blackouts and a lack of access to essential services such as healthcare. Just this week, the Ukrainian government confirmed the first emergency blackouts of the winter, plunging thousands of families into dark and cold.
Children living on the frontline of the war who cannot find adequate shelter will be most at risk this winter, said Save the Children. Increasing attacks on civilians have damaged or destroyed at least 2 million homes in Ukraine since February 2022, impacting an estimated 774,000 children.[i] Some children and their families are still living in damaged homes – including anything from shattered windows and doors, to gaping holes in walls and roofs – because they cannot afford the repairs or do not have the money to move.
It’s anticipated that families could face up to 20 hours a day without power this winter if strikes on energy infrastructure continue. Many children will be left without heating and hot water as temperatures drop well below zero, even reaching -20 degrees Celsius in some areas. Children living in damaged homes without electricity are extremely vulnerable, and if exposed to extreme winter conditions, are at risk of health conditions including hypothermia and frostbite.
Nataliia* (44) and her daughter Sofiya* (13) are originally from Kherson, but fled after the city was occupied. Since then, their home in Kherson was destroyed when the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was attacked in June 2023, flooding the surrounding area. They now live in a rented home damaged by shelling in the Mykolaiv region of Ukraine. Nataliia said:
“We’re very afraid that if there’s no electricity, it’ll be very cold. I don’t know how we’ll make it through this winter – there’s no gas in this building. Everything runs on electricity. And if there’s no power, if it’s turned off for 8-12 hours, that’ll be a really tough challenge. It’ll be cold in the house.
“So, how do we prepare? Build some kind of stove? That would require money…but at the moment, we don’t have money. We only have enough to pay for utilities and to feed ourselves. That’s it. Moreover, the electricity prices have gone up.
“We really want to return home, but there’s nowhere to go back to. After the dam explosion, not only was our house was flooded; the entire neighbourhood was flooded. We built a house, renovated it, only to leave everything behind. It was very hard—emotionally, physically, and financially.”
Sofiya said life has been very difficult since full-scale war broke out in February 2022:
“It’s different from how it used to be because we moved here [to the rented house]. I’m not at my home, and I don’t feel very comfortable here. I hear explosions, I don’t go to school, and my old friends have left Ukraine.”
Not only will children have to suffer through potentially long hours of freezing conditions without heating and hot water, but ongoing power outages may mean they’re also cut off from online learning – and their friends.
Many students in Ukraine are forced to learn remotely and no longer attend face-to-face classes due to safety concerns. Their schools are either too close to the frontline and are at risk of being shelled, or simply lack an equipped protective shelter. This winter, it’s estimated that children who learn exclusively online may lose between 60 and 160 learning hours a month, impacting on their education, their ability to communicate with friends and their mental health.
Save the Children’s Country Director in Ukraine, Sonia Khush, said:
“This winter will bring immense suffering for millions of children and adults across the country. Many people will freeze in their homes during the long power cuts, and newborn babies and children will be at particular risk because they can get cold very quickly and develop hypothermia as their bodies are smaller and cannot regulate their body temperatures as easily as adults.
“The rising cost of electricity and tough economic conditions also mean many families will be forced to choose between paying for energy bills and covering other critical needs, such as food and healthcare. Children and families in Ukraine are being pushed to the brink.
“Although organisations like Save the Children are working hard to provide life-saving assistance to families – including winter kits, home repairs and cash – it’s not enough and significant gaps remain. The needs are just too great, and we often cannot access the most vulnerable communities close to the frontline. This winter, we urgently need more funding from the international community and unrestricted humanitarian access to save children’s lives. We also call on all parties to the conflict to ensure civilian objects, especially homes, schools and hospitals, are protected from attacks.”
Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014. Since 24 February 2022, the children’s rights agency has dramatically scaled up its operations and now has a team of 350 staff based in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, and Chernivtsi. Working with more than 25 partners, the organisation has provided essential support and have reached more than 3.44 million people — including around 1.4 million children.
ENDS
For interviews, please contact:
Vsevolod Prokofiev (based in Kyiv): Vsevolod.Prokofiev@savethechildren.org
Sacha Myers (based in Kyiv): sacha.myers@savethechildren.org.au
On call media team: media@savethechildren.org.uk
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Notes to editors
[1] The Shelter Cluster in Ukraine estimate that at least 2 million homes have been damaged or destroyed in Ukraine since February 2022. Household size in Ukraine prior to February 2022 was 2.58 (page 61), meaning approximately 5.16 million people have had their home damaged or destroyed. The UN says 15% of the current population in Ukraine are children aged 0-14 years, thus an estimated 774,000 children have been impacted.
