Over Half of Ukraine’s Children Displaced by One Month of War

Over the past month, humanity worldwide has witnessed the devastation and destruction brought about by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The invasion began the largest conventional war in Europe since World War II and has sparked Europe’s largest refugee crisis since that war.

According to data provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a shocking 3,725,806 refugees have fled Ukraine in one month, from February 24 to March 24, 2022.

Refugees have fled into Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova and the Russian Federation.

Additionally, over half of Ukraine’s children have been displaced after just one month of war, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Thursday.

The war “has led to the displacement of 4.3 million children – more than half of the country’s estimated 7.5 million child population.”

Of the 4.3 million displaced children, over 1.8 million of them have fled into neighboring countries while the remaining 2.5 million have been displaced within Ukraine.

“The war has caused one of the fastest large-scale displacements of children since World War II,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“This is a grim milestone that could have lasting consequences for generations to come. Children’s safety, wellbeing and access to essential services are all under threat from non-stop violence,” Director Russell added.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that “78 children have been killed, and 105 have been injured in Ukraine” since the beginning of the war.

However, since these are only reports that the United Nations (UN) has been able to confirm, “the true toll is likely far higher.”

“In just a few weeks, the war has been devastating for Ukraine’s children,” Director Russell said. “Children urgently need peace and protection. They need their rights upheld.”

Related articles:

A Firsthand Account of a Ukrainian Mother’s Desperation: ‘Where’s My Daughter?’

War in Ukraine Causing Burgeoning Humanitarian Crisis

The Human Cost of Russia’s War on Ukraine

As Russia Invades Ukraine, Here are Three Ways Christians Should Respond

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