© Marina Nechaieva pour Action contre la Faim
Headline
War in Ukraine: children pay the highest price
On July 8, dozens of people were killed and wounded in new Russian strikes targeting a children’s hospital and maternity ward in Kyiv, including numerous children.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the war has taken a heavy toll on Ukrainian children. In all, more than half of all Ukrainian children are thought to have been displaced, and 2,200 children to have been killed or wounded since February 2022¹. The upsurge in hostilities, particularly in the east of the country, is putting children’s lives and mental health at greater risk.
Displacement, the loss of loved ones, a precarious economic situation, incessant aerial bombardments and the disruption of education and health systems have had devastating effects on the cognitive development and mental health of Ukrainian children. According to a UNICEF survey, half of young people aged 13 to 15 suffer from sleep disorders, and three-quarters of children and young people aged 14 to 34 said they needed emotional or psychological support².
“Every air raid alarm exacerbates children’s anxiety and loss of learning. What’s more, 40% of Ukrainian children no longer have access to formal education due to the security context or the destruction of educational infrastructures. In addition, online education is regularly disrupted by power cuts caused by bombardments. The traumas caused by the war will have far-reaching, long-term repercussions “, explains Yuliia Dikalova, Deputy Manager of Action Against Hunger’s mental health and psychosocial support programs in Ukraine.
Since May, following the resurgence of hostilities, 1,513 children have benefited from psychological and psychosocial follow-up by Action Against Hunger and its Ukrainian partners, including 189 children in the Kharkiv region, 292 in the Soumy region, 635 children in the Dnipro region in the east of the country, and 306 children in the Mykolaiv region in the south-west.
Seated between teddy bears and pink heart-shaped balloons, a dozen children and teenagers attend weekly psychological and psychosocial support sessions led by Marina Nechaieva, Action Against Hunger psychologist in the Kharkiv region. In response to the upsurge in hostilities in the region, she has carried out a distress protocol aimed at doing psycho-education, to normalize reactions to traumatic events, and stabilize children’s emotional state.
“These children often come from the Donbass region or from areas close to the front line. This means they’ve left either under the bombardment, after being injured, or after losing a loved one. Many show signs of anxiety and depression. Each session includes drawings or games, and techniques to soothe them,” explains Marina Nechaieva. “I strive to create a relationship of trust with the children, and invite them to reflect on their lives before, their fears, the changes they’ve had to face, but also to project themselves into the future.”
Anastasia, aged 16, took part in Action Against Hunger’s psychological and psychosocial support sessions at a children’s rehabilitation center in the city of Kharkiv. Originally from the war-torn city of Luhansk, Anastasia arrived in Kharkiv in the early months of the large-scale conflict. There, she had to adapt to a new environment.
© Marina Nechaieva pour Action contre la Faim
“The support of Action Against Hunger was very useful. In the group, I could say no and explain what I wanted. I had some difficulties when I was a bit upset and didn’t want to answer, but after the discussion, I felt better and it was easier to share how I felt. My self-esteem improved thanks to these sessions,” testifies Anastasia.
There is still a long way to go, but the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) teams noted an improvement in Anastasia’s psychological state. She is now more interested, and actively shares her experiences and opinions. Despite the ongoing war, which is tarnishing future prospects, Anastasia even finds herself thinking about the future. “I want to graduate from university and become a student at the police academy,” she confides with a smile.
Action Against Hunger calls on the parties to respect civilians and civilian sites such as schools, health centers, residential buildings and other essential infrastructure, and to comply with International Humanitarian Law. The longer the conflict persists, the greater the burden it places on Ukrainian children. To meet the growing needs, notably in mental health and psychosocial support, it is essential to maintain funding for programs over the long term.
About our emergency humanitarian response in Eastern Ukraine
Following a new offensive by Russian forces on May 10, air attacks and high-intensity fighting are taking place in the eastern part of Ukraine. Many people living in areas bordering Russia have been displaced by the hostilities to reach the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where daylight strikes are multiplying on densely populated areas.
To meet the growing humanitarian needs in the Kharkiv region, Action contre la Faim, in collaboration with humanitarian partners, implements the following actions :
- Mobilization of a mobile health unit at the transit center to provide basic healthcare services to evacuees;
- Support of an outpatient clinic linked to the health center in Lyptsi, an area that has always been heavily shelled, is now under daily attack and is less than 5km from the new gray zones on the northern border;
- Emergency financial assistance to people affected by attacks on a private building in the Osnovianskyi district;
- Support in the organization of mental health and psychosocial support sessions in Kharkiv’s main transit center.
Ukraine
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