Ukraine's Children Didn't Start The War, But They Pay The Biggest Price

During the first year of the war, children in Ukraine spent about 920 hours underground That's 38.

3 days, or more than a month in hideouts and bunkers The daily stress of bombing and hiding takes a toll on the mental Health and psychosocial well-being of children and adults.

The World Health Organization estimates that one in five people living in war-torn countries are at high risk of some form of mental illness, with symptoms worsening as hostilities continue, according to a press release "The war that started a year ago drastically changed the lives of millions of children in Ukraine.

Thousands of families were forced to flee their homes to escape the rapidly spreading atrocities Many children saw their homes and schools destroyed, and their loved ones were killed in endless shelling and rocket attacks.

As the second year of the war begins, children continue to be forced to witness new waves of violence," says Sonia Khush, Ukraine director of Save the Children - "Children did not start this war, but they pay the highest price.

It amazes me how resilient children are They withstand all challenges and if we give them a chance, with a little help, they will be able to channel this difficult experience into their own growth.

" According to official sources, which allow to calculate the number and duration of air raid sirens throughout Ukraine, over the past year a total of in the country, sirens sounded about 16,207 times and lasted about an hour on average Unable to leave their hiding places due to endless attacks, families with children spend up to 8 hours underground.

For example, In Kharkiv last year, sirens warning residents of a possible rocket attack or the threat of shelling and urging them to take cover sounded more than 1,700 times In total, they lasted 1,500 hours, and in the Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions - more than 1,100 hours each.

Along the front line in southeastern Ukraine, shelling is almost non-stop Families living there have been forced to leave their homes - many of which have now been destroyed - and live in shelters without basic amenities such as electricity, water and heating.

When the sirens go off at school, finding a place to hide becomes a challenge "We were all crying, we were scared to death," 16-year-old Sophia (girl's name and the names of others mentioned below have been changed) remembers how on February 24 Kharkiv woke up to explosions and sirens.

After being forced to relocate several times, she helped the volunteers Eventually, she and eight other children were evacuated to Zakarpattia, far to the West of Ukraine, where she now lives with her grandmother.

Although the Western region is considered one of the safest, according to Sophia, air sirens wail frequently When the siren goes off, Sophia usually spends an hour in the dark and cold basement, but if the sirens hit her at school, finding a place to hide becomes a challenge.

"If the air raid siren sounds, the older students - students in grades 9-11 - go to the village council building, where the bunker is located," says Sophia - "It takes us five minutes to run there, 15 minutes if you walk.

But I always wondered if there was danger when there was no power and we didn't hear the siren, how long would it take me to run to the shelter when the missile attack started .

It Took Me 47 Seconds

Alarm sirens have already become a normal part of life for children Not everyone can afford to have a fully equipped bunker with furniture.

Many continue to shelter in the often cold basements of homes or other buildings In the city of Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine, attacks are more frequent.

The city was recently rocked by a rocket strike that destroyed an apartment building and killed 46 civilians A kindergarten teacher in the suburbs of Dnipro told representatives of Save the Children that air raid sirens have already become a normal part of life for her pupils.

"They get dressed, go outside, go around the kindergarten building and go down to the hiding place The children get ready for the hiding place in about 3 minutes," says teacher Svitlana.

- Every time when the sirens sound, together with our colleagues, we have to evacuate about 200 children, many of them have special needs In order to reduce the stress caused by sirens, teachers sometimes suggest that children engage in playful exercises that help them prepare for an emergency and quickly descend into hiding.

The basement of the kindergarten has the necessary equipment - children can draw, play and dance Every kindergartener also has an emergency backpack with water, snacks, warm clothes and favorite toys in his locker.

“We're in the basement [because] the siren is going off (We came here) so the siren is gone.

(Here) I like to paint, play with dolls," said 4-year-old Oleh "Honestly, the kids love (going into the basement) so much that they usually ask, 'When are we going to cave next?' That's what they call the hideout," Svitlana said.

- "We learn in the hideout, but there are children who cry when sirens wail, therefore, we have a so-called solitude corner in the hideout Of course, it's better for these children to be alone for a while and not hear all that noise.

" With sirens wailing - doing homework in hiding In larger cities, such as the capital Kyiv, families take their children to underground parking lots or metro stations in a hurry to hide Some of them pitched their tents in these underpasses during the first months of the war.

"When the planes take off, we get ready I was afraid in the first days of the war, but now it is normal.

Everyone has their own backpack We pick them up and leave," Maryna, a mother of two, said as her husband and children sat in the subway station on small chairs the family took from home along with bags full of water and food.

Going to the subway when rockets are launched is now like a normal routine for many families Her daughter, twelve-year-old Olena, told about life in hiding: "When the sirens go off, I surf on my smartphone.

If it's during school, I can do homework We are in hiding because rockets are being fired at us, and it is better to sit here for our own safety.

It's boring But it's better to be bored than to be hurt.

" Helped more than 800,000 people in Ukraine Save the Children reviewed the catastrophic year of war in Ukraine for children in the report "A Heavy Toll" It emphasizes the constant great danger that children in Ukraine face every day, and the psychological trauma they suffer from the surrounding violence, separation from family and friends, relocation, lack of access to education and other violations of their rights.

Save the Children calls on warring parties to honor their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and to ensure that civilians and civilian objects of particular importance to children, such as homes, schools and hospitals, are protected from attack Persons who have committed violations against children must be held accountable.

"Save the Children" has been working in Eastern Ukraine since 2014 in 2022 February 24 since the outbreak of war, the organization has expanded its operations and provided assistance to more than 800,000 people, including 436,500 children, such as providing food and water, cash, and setting up safe spaces where children and families experiencing war receive the support they need.

that civilians and civilian objects, especially important for children, such as homes, schools and hospitals, are protected from attack Persons who have committed violations against children must be held accountable.

"Save the Children" has been working in Eastern Ukraine since 2014 in 2022 February 24 since the outbreak of war, the organization has expanded its operations and provided assistance to more than 800,000 people, including 436,500 children, such as providing food and water, cash, and setting up safe spaces where children and families experiencing war receive the support they need.

that civilians and civilian objects, especially important for children, such as homes, schools and hospitals, are protected from attack Persons who have committed violations against children must be held accountable.

"Save the Children" has been working in Eastern Ukraine since 2014 in 2022 February 24 since the outbreak of war, the organization has expanded its operations and provided assistance to more than 800,000 people, including 436,500 children, such as providing food and water, cash, and setting up safe spaces where children and families experiencing war receive the support they need.

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