Children make up half of all refugees from the war in Ukraine, according to UNICEF and UNHCR. More than 1.1 million children have arrived in Poland, with hundreds of thousands also arriving in Romania, Moldova, Hungary Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
UNICEF continues to warn of the heightened risk of trafficking and exploitation. To seek to reduce the risks children and young people face, UNICEF, UNHCR and government and civil society partners are scaling up “Blue Dots” in refugee-hosting countries, including Moldova, Romania and Slovakia. The ‘Blue Dots’ are one-stop safe spaces that can provide information to travelling families, help identify unaccompanied and separated children and ensure their protection from exploitation and serve as a hub for access to essential services.