While most refugees, especially those from the Kyiv area, have flowed to Poland, an estimated 350,000 have entered Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries.

There is a "huge risk" that Ukrainian children and women fleeing the war may fall victim to human trafficking, the European Union's Home Affairs Commissioner warned on Monday.

The Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Maryna Lazebna said that as of 19 March 2022, 4,894 children from 179 institutions of institutional care have been evacuated. Of these, 2,522 children were relocated within Ukraine, and 2,372 children from 116 institutions were relocated abroad.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Saturday announced that more than 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24. The agency warned that the high number of child refugees comes with an increased risk of trafficking as traffickers look to take advantage of chaotic situations such as this.

The Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine, Maryna Lazebna, said that as of 19 March 2022, 4,894 children from 179 institutions of institutional care have been evacuated. Of these, 2,522 children were relocated withinUkraine, and 2,372 children from 116 institutions were relocated abroad.

Polish businesses have mobilised quickly to help refugees. Two million have already arrived here.

Millions of children remain in areas of conflict in Ukraine as Russia's bombardment intensifies. In recent days, several apartment buildings and hospitals have been struck, while neighbourhoods have been wiped out, leaving bodies trapped under rubble. This article details ways parents and caregivers are helping children deal with the trauma of the war.

Some of the war’s youngest victims are a group of babies carried by Ukrainian mothers for couples living overseas who are unable to collect their newborns after Russia’s invasion, reports Kim Sengupta in Kyiv.

Naomi Angell, a member of the Law Society’s Children’s Law sub committee, examines the impact the Ukraine war can have on international surrogacy. 

The Russian Federation launched a military offensive against Ukraine on 24 February 2022. In three weeks, more than 3.2 million refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine, while an additional 6.5 million people have been displaced internally within the country. Over 12 million people have been affected in the areas hardest hit by the war within Ukraine. In these weekly updates, the UNHCR continues to call for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect for international humanitarian law, and appealed to neighbouring countries to continue keeping their borders open to those fleeing.