In One Month of War, More Than Half Ukraine’s Children Displaced: UN

GENEVA (AA) – One month of war in Ukraine has led to the displacement of 4.3 million children – more than half the estimated population of 7.5 million children in the country, UNICEF said Thursday.

Among the displaced children are more than 1.8 million who crossed into neighboring countries as refugees and 2.5 million who are now internally displaced inside Ukraine, said the UN agency.

The UN refugee agency said that the number of people who have fled the country since Russia began the war on Feb. 24 is some 3.63 million.

UNICEF quoted the UN human rights office as saying 78 children have been killed and 105 injured in Ukraine since the start of the war.

The war has also had devastating consequences on civilian infrastructure and access to essential services, said UNICEF.

The World Health Organization (WHO), for example, has reported 64 attacks impacting healthcare facilities across the country over the last four weeks, while Ukraine’s Education and Science Ministry has reported damage to more than 500 education facilities.

An estimated 1.4 million people now lack access to safe water, while 4.6 million people have limited access to water or are at risk of being cut off. Over 450,000 children age 6 to 23 months need complementary food support.

UNICEF has already observed a reduction in vaccination coverage for routine and childhood immunizations, including the measles and polio.

That reduction could quickly lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, especially in overcrowded areas where people are sheltering from the violence, said UNICEF.