KYIV, 24 February – All the children in Ukraine – at least 7.5 million under 18-year-olds - are in grave danger of physical harm, severe emotional distress, and displacement, following an escalation in hostilities overnight, says Save the Children.
Explosions have been heard in the capital Kyiv and other major cities such as Kharkiv, forcing children and families into basements and bomb shelters. Parents are reporting trying to calm terrified children. Thousands of others are fleeing the capital, mostly by car.Temperatures in the capital are dropping below freezing, and displaced children may face long nights and days exposed to brutal conditions.
In Eastern Ukraine, more than 400,000 children live in the areas at high risk of the direct impacts of the presence of soldiers and artillery, including being injured or killed by guns, landmines and explosive weapons, or being displaced from their homes. At least 100,000 of these children and their families are already known to have left their homes since Monday, and are currently sheltering with friends, relatives and strangers, often in cramped conditions.