Millions of Ukrainian children face attacks and mounting challenges as school year opens

World Vision’s programs that include support to education have reached out to over 267,000 Ukrainian children and those from host families of refugees’ but more needs to be done.

Kyiv, Ukraine – As Ukraine’s children go back to school this September 2024, report from the Ministry of Education and Science identified that around 4.6 million are faced with challenges on access to education, that also includes an estimated two million affected by school closures. Further, over 3,500 educational institutions have reportedly suffered destruction, and nearly 400 completely destroyed.

UNICEF has also raised the alarm on the impact of constant air raid alarms that force children to move to shelters, disrupting their classes and their sleep. It further highlighted that the attacks cause power outages that disrupt classes in schools and access to online learning.

Language teacher Larysa Nedoluzhko in Irpin decried the children’s situation. She said, “First there was COVID, now constant alarms. With every alarm children go to the bomb shelter in the basement. The school’s shelter is safe and spacious but organizing classes in a crowded basement is impossible.”

World Vision’s Response Director Chris Palusky has expressed deep concern on the series of attacks. “The years-long suffering of the children and families in Ukraine, and the impact on their mental health is horrible even to imagine.” 

Palusky also added, “The humanitarian workers who respond in the midst of the attacks are at grave risk, and are also worried that their access and ability to respond are also hampered. Delays in delivery of humanitarian assistance can result to loss of lives.”

Just like the rest of the millions of Ukraine’s children who were displaced and became refugees due to the ongoing war, nine-year old Eva dreams of a country free of alarms and explosions. 

“I want to be an astronomer, but my greatest wish is for my father to return from war,” Eva appealed. Roman, one of the teachers in Eva’s school raised the need for more efforts to close the gap on education saying, “The early years of elementary school are critical to a child’s education and future brain development.” 

World Vision’s humanitarian response in Ukraine has assisted over 1.9 million people impacted by the war in Ukraine, and has been working with local partners organizing initiatives that support children’s education, psychosocial support and mental health through 16 child-friendly spaces, with four more opening soon.

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