As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, the nation's children are feeling the overwhelming stress of displacement and life under the constant threat of attack. UNICEF and partners are working to protect children's mental health and provide psychosocial support to keep them healthy and preserve their hope for a brighter future.
UNICEF is focused on protecting children’s mental health during the protracted crisis in Ukraine
Since Feb. 24, 2022, the escalation of war in Ukraine has had a devastating impact on the country's children. For two long years, children have lived with the fear of bombardment. Classes have moved into basements, playgrounds are littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Children sheltering from overhead threats have spent 3,800 to 4,500 hours — up to half a year — underground, undercutting their education and leaving them at significant risk of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.