The war in Ukraine is disrupting the lives of millions of children and driving families apart.
More than 6 million people have fled Ukraine since the conflict began on 24 February 2022, and more than 7.7 million have been displaced within the country. The displaced include 2.5 million children - tens of thousands of which have become separated from family and caregivers.
The disruption and collapse of essential civilian infrastructure has caused damage to water supply networks, waste management, transportation infrastructure, telecommunications, social services, healthcare, emergency services, education, electricity, the judicial system, and banking systems.
The situation is particularly desperate for the 160,000 Ukrainian children who live in alternative care settings. They are exposed to the danger of ground battles and bombing, often without supportive adults by their side.
SOS Children’s Villages is rapidly scaling up to respond to the needs of approximately 500,000 vulnerable children and families impacted by the conflict. Our holistic emergency response in Ukraine includes:
- Relocation assistance and safe shelter: In coordination with partners such as UNICEF, we support vulnerable families displaced by the conflict with cash assistance to covers costs associated with travel, safe housing, and associated costs.
- Health and food assistance: Through the provision of cash assistance, we help conflict affected families access food, clean water, hygiene materials and essential medical supplies and services.
- Trauma care and mental health support: We provide mental health and psychosocial support to children, parents, and frontline staff.
- Protection from harm: Our emergency response team works alongside local governments and partners to keep children and families safe.
- Family reunification: We coordinate with national governments and other humanitarian actors to identify, assist, and reunify children who have been separated from their families.
SOS Children’s Villages has been responding to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine since 2003, delivering essential assistance to vulnerable children and their families. We have been updating our emergency response since the conflict escalation in February 2022, particularly with respect to protection, shelter, nutrition, and mental health of affected children and families, and refugees.
We will continue our work in Ukraine as long as it takes - to save lives, reduce suffering, reunify and strengthen families, and maintain dignity among crisis-affected Ukrainians.
