UNICEF is set to expand urgently needed services for children in Ukraine – including health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education, child protection, and cash assistance – thanks to a new commitment of EURO 9 million from the European Union (EU).
The funding will support critical services for children and families, including access to health care, safe water and hygiene, child protection, education, and multi-purpose cash support.
“Every day this brutal war continues, children’s needs increase across the country,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director. “This generous support from the European Union will help UNICEF reach more children with critical lifesaving services that they urgently need.”
At least 3 million children need urgent humanitarian assistance inside Ukraine. The impact of the war is particularly acute for children stuck in active areas of fighting, children with disabilities, and unaccompanied and separated children.
“This unjustified war has ripped Ukrainian children from their homes. Instead of being at schools, they are now trapped in bomb shelters or displaced,” said Janez Lenarčič, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management. “The European Union remains committed to providing immediate support to the children of Ukraine. As one of the most vulnerable groups, they need our protection urgently. Together with humanitarian partners like UNICEF, we ensure that life-saving assistance reaches those most in need,” added Lenarčič.
The European Union’s funding to UNICEF will ensure that:
- 441,000 people receive improved access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.
- Nearly 6,000 children from vulnerable families will receive multipurpose cash assistance, which will also be reinvested into the local economy.
- 20,000 children and mothers can access improved health care through maternal and neonatal services, mobile health clinics, routine immunization, and micronutrient supplements for infant and young feeding.
- 45,000 children, including those on the move, children in institutions, and/or with disabilities, receive protection support through case management, psychosocial first aid, referrals to specialized care, family tracing for unaccompanied children, and information on the prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation.
UNICEF aims to reach 1,7 million people across Ukraine with life-saving assistance by the end of summer 2022. This includes delivering medicines and medical equipment, health, nutrition, and WASH supplies and services, as well as psychosocial and educational support. The response continues to scale up as more children are affected by the war and are displaced across the country and outside.