Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, the United Nations children’s rights agency, called for increased protection efforts by the international community and parties to the conflict, as well as political solution to end the war.
“Children count on this Council to provide solutions. We cannot and must not let them down,” she said.
A two-year-old girl was seriously injured when a rocket hit her home in Lviv, Ukraine.
Young lives broken
Ms Russell highlighted the terrible toll on young lives.
At least 2,406 boys and girls have been killed or injured since the war began in February 2022 – an average of two per day, according to UN-verified figures, although the true figure is likely much higher.
“Behind every number is a child with a name, a life story and loved ones whose hopes and dreams have been shattered,” she said.
She noted that more and more young people are directly caught up in the conflict.
“The UN has recorded more child casualties in the first nine months of 2024 than in all of 2023. This is the true cost of war, but it does not stop there,” said the head of UNICEF.
Here she highlighted the staggering number of people uprooted by the fighting, with nearly 3.6 million people displaced in Ukraine and almost twice that number, 6.7 million, now refugees.
Living and learning underground
Due to the constant risk of attacks, children in some parts of the country are now sheltered for up to six hours a day in basements and other dark, damp spaces, she continued.
Additionally, nearly 1,500 educational institutions and more than 660 health facilities were damaged or destroyed during the war. In some cities like Kharkiv, classrooms and playgrounds have been replaced by makeshift underground schools, especially in metro stations.
The onset of winter means children are exposed to freezing temperatures. The situation has been made worse by Russia’s increased attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, which have reduced energy capacity to just half of what is needed during the coldest months.
“Some regions of Ukraine are experiencing power outages for 18 hours a day. As a result, many Ukrainian children are left without essentials such as heating, clean water and sanitation,” Ms Russell said.
Mental health issues
War also has terrible consequences on children’s mental health and deprives them of their childhood, she continued.
“Children are affected by the constant threat and fear of attacks or violence, loss of loved ones, separation of families due to displacement and disruption of education – including isolation due to “long-term online learning,” she said.
As the war continues, UNICEF and its partners are working tirelessly to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of children and families. This includes working with municipalities to keep heating systems operational throughout the winter. Although they are doing their best, Ms Russell stressed the need for more action.
End violations against children
“We once again call on the members of this Security Council and the parties to this conflict to take immediate action to protect the children caught in this nightmare,” she said.
All parties to the conflict must respect international humanitarian and human rights law and end grave violations against children, she said, while attacks on energy infrastructure, health facilities and schools must cease immediately.
Parties must also refrain from using explosive weapons in populated areas, as well as landmines, cluster munitions and other weapons that have a disproportionate impact on children.
Reuniting families, allowing humanitarian access
While UNICEF remains deeply concerned about the number of children separated from their families, Ms. Russell urged parties to prioritize the tracing and reunification of families and to refrain from taking any action that would alter the nationality of a child or would make their reunification more difficult.
“UNICEF continues to offer support for the return and reintegration of all children, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” she said.
“And finally, the United Nations and its partners should have safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all children and families in Ukraine who need assistance or protection services, including in areas not controlled by the government.”
