This response report provides an overview of child protection concerns in Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has deeply fractured the primary protective environment for children—the family. Mass displacement has separated millions of children from parents, siblings, and extended relatives, while indiscriminate attacks continue to kill and injure children at alarming rates. Damage to homes, schools, and hospitals has forced families into unsafe and unstable living conditions, eroding the sense of security children depend on. Ukraine has also become one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, where explosive remnants of war limit children’s freedom of movement, preventing them from walking to school or playing outdoors. These risks, combined with persistent fear of shelling and strikes, confine children to environments of insecurity and isolation, compounding the psychological distress caused by family separation.
At the same time, economic devastation has stripped families of the resources needed to care for their children, pushing many into poverty and forcing harmful coping mechanisms. With livelihoods destroyed and inflation rising, parents struggle to provide food, heating, and healthcare, leading to malnutrition, school dropouts, child labor, and increased exposure to exploitation and domestic violence. For many families, the impossible choice between survival and safety drives returns to dangerous areas or risky debt. As a result, the prolonged conflict not only threatens children’s immediate safety but also undermines the stability and resilience of family structures, leaving children more vulnerable to long-term separation and protection risks.
