Three in four children in Ukraine are living in constant fear amid an escalating mental health crisis, with recent missile and drone attacks
KYIV, 2 September 2024 – Three in four children in Ukraine are living in constant fear amid an escalating mental health crisis, with recent missile and drone attacks further shattering any sense of safety, Save the Children said.
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A new report by the aid agency reveals the devastating toll that two years of conflict have taken on children, with a survey of over 1,500 children, parents, and caregivers, finding that nine out of 10 children are suffering from psychological and emotional stress. Among these children, the most common issues are feeling unsafe or fearful (73%), disinterest in learning (64%), and sadness or low self-confidence (54%).
About one in three children in Ukraine have felt anger and frustration because of the dire situation in their country, according to the survey conducted by Save the Children in 12 regions across Ukraine from November 2023 onwards. The same number have exhibited quiet and solitary behaviour.
Children in regions directly impacted by ongoing hostilities, such as the north, east and south of Ukraine, are particularly affected. The report also identified a widespread shortage of mental health professionals in the country, especially psychologists trained to support individuals during wartime.
The full-scale war has devastated the lives of the 7.5 million children in Ukraine, with many suffering severe emotional distress. Around 1.4 million homes have been damaged or destroyed, over 3,700 educational institutions have been impacted, with 365 destroyed, according to state sources. The UN estimates that the percentage of children living in poverty has nearly doubled, rising from 43% in 2021 to 82% during the war.
Ivanna*, 43, and her three children live in a frontline town in the Kharkiv region that was trapped under siege and rapidly occupied early in the war. Ivanna’s older son, Danil*, 16, counted over 700 explosions as the family was hiding in the basement before it eventually collapsed.
‘He said: “Mom, if we get out of the basement, we must leave the city. And if we stay here, we will all die together”, said Ivanna, recalling the words of Danil*, before they were forced to flee to central Ukraine. ‘It is very painful to hear it from your child. He grew up very quickly. His childhood is over.’
Her younger daughter, Alina*, 7, has been withdrawn and started stuttering since the start of the war and her youngest child David*, 5, has stopped talking.
‘My youngest son used to talk, used to sing songs… But one night the basement collapsed on us. And David* stopped talking. He was almost 3 years old. It is very painful when your son used to talk… but then he became silent and he does not even say ‘mother’,” said Ivanna*.
After almost a year and a half of displacement, Ivanna and her children returned to their hometown. Ivanna* and her older son Danil* work part-time while Alina* and David* spent time at a Save the Children space set up for children to play in a protected environment. This is the only place where children can play safely as the surroundings are littered with mines and unexploded munitions.
Sonia Khush, the Country Director for Save the Children in Ukraine, said:
“Not a single child in Ukraine has been spared this war and the atrocities it brought. There is no place across the entire country where children can feel safe, let alone the frontline areas. It is heartbreaking to see children who cannot speak or fear playing or even walking outside because of the immense distress they suffer day after day.
“Ukraine has marked 10 years of conflict this year, and now there is an entire generation of children who have seen nothing but war in their lives. As a global society, we must step up and ensure that children in Ukraine can have their childhood here now despite a raging conflict, as there will be no time for them to make up for the loss in the future.”
Save the Children calls for all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. Civilians and civilian objects, especially those impacting children such as homes, schools, and hospitals, are protected from attack, and all children must be protected from any violations of their rights.
Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014 and has scaled up operations since the war escalated in February 2022. The organisation is working closely with multiple partners and has reached about 160,000 children with protection services by establishing a country-wide network of 28 child-friendly spaces for children to play and communicate, as well as providing mental health and psychosocial support for children, parents and caregivers. The child rights organisation is also training teachers and social workers on psychological first aid (PFA), social and emotional learning (SEL), and basic Psychosocial Skills including self-care.
ENDS
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*Names changed to protect identity
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