Devastating Impact of War in Ukraine on Children’s Education
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom plays with children in the UNICEF Spilno Child Spot at a metro station in Kyiv, Ukraine on 25 March 2023. Photo: UNICEF
Devastating Impact of War in Ukraine on Children’s Education
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom travelled to Ukraine to meet children and families affected by the war. During his 3-day visit to Kyiv, Irpin and Demydiv, Bloom witnessed how the war in Ukraine continues to have a devastating impact on children’s lives, more than one year since the escalation in February 2022.
UNICEF estimates that 1.5 million children are at risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, with long-term implications for their physical and mental health.
“When I first came to Ukraine in 2016, I saw the catastrophic consequences that war has on children and families, and how basic needs such as being at school and psychosocial support are critical for children’s wellbeing,” said Bloom, who visited eastern Ukraine in 2016, and Moldova last year to meet refugee families fleeing Ukraine. “Now, with children across the entire country affected, that support is more vital than ever.”
During the past 13 months, thousands of schools have reportedly been severely damaged or destroyed by bombing and shelling, leaving almost 2.7 million Ukrainian children accessing learning online or through the mixed modality of face-to-face and online.
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In refugee-hosting countries, two out of three children from Ukraine are currently not enrolled in the host country’s education systems. Recent UNICEF research reveals that children of preschool age are particularly affected, as they are missing out on the opportunity to develop the critical skills they need to succeed in school.
These and other topics related to child rights and child-centered recovery in Ukraine were also discussed during the meeting Bloom had with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
During the trip, Bloom visited Irpin, a town heavily impacted by the early days of the war. Here, he visited a school where, with UNICEF support, the basement was converted into a bomb shelter, to provide a safe space for children to continue learning when air-raid sirens may sound.
Bloom also visited UNICEF’s ‘Spilno Child Spots’ in Irpin and Kyiv, where children – including those displaced by the war – can play and learn. Spilno Spots are also a one-stop-shop for children to receive psychosocial support, medical checks and referrals to specialised services. In 2022, over 500,000 children and their caregivers visited 180 Spilno Spots across Ukraine.
Over the past year in Ukraine, UNICEF has provided education, health, including mental health and psychosocial support, nutrition, water and sanitation, and protection assistance to children and families affected by the war.
In countries hosting refugees from Ukraine, UNICEF has been working with national and local authorities, as well as civil society organizations to deliver emergency assistance and support services to families fleeing the war in Ukraine.
As hostilities continue unabated, and needs continue to increase, UNICEF continues delivering for children inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries and requires US$ 1.05 billion to meet growing needs of 9.4 million people, including 4 million children, who remain deeply impacted by the war in Ukraine.
