Ukraine, children alone at the border. Save the Children: "Unprecedented humanitarian crisis"
The drama of Ukrainian children who arrive alone at the border either because they got lost in the excitement of the flight or because their parents put them on the run as a desperate gesture to save them
It is estimated that between 800,000 and 1 million children have managed to escape from Ukraine in recent weeks due to the escalating violence in the country
To date, 2 million people have managed to flee the country.
This number is unprecedented in the history of humanitarian crises.
An increasing number of children arrive at the border alone, without the support of their families, and these numbers are causing a real emergency for their protection.
This is the serious alarm launched today by Save the Children, the organisation that for over 100 years has been fighting to save the youngest children by guaranteeing them a future.
“Our operators working at the border report the arrival of some children alone, sent to other countries by family members forced to stay in Ukraine, who have tried to keep them safe from attacks and bombings.
Others have lost their families in the excitement of fleeing their homes and many arriving at the border are under 14 years old and show signs of psychological distress,” the statement said.
Save the Children is working tirelessly with other organisations to establish procedures to trace the relatives of children who have arrived alone and facilitate family reunification or to put children in touch with extended family and acquaintances in Poland or neighbouring countries.
In addition, the organisation is active in establishing protection systems and reporting mechanisms for children.
CHILDREN IN BOMBED-OUT UKRAINE: DESPERATE MEASURES TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN
“Parents are resorting to the most desperate and painful measures to protect their children, including taking them away from themselves and sending them away with neighbours and friends to seek safety outside Ukraine, while they remain at home to protect their homes,” said Irina Saghoyan, Save the Children’s Director for Eastern Europe.
“For children, separation from loved ones can result in deep psychological stress due to insecurity, fear for the fate of family members and separation anxiety.
The risks of violence, exploitation, trafficking and abuse also increase.
Many of them travel with their older siblings or extended families, neighbours or other reference adults.
They need protection and support and are still incredibly vulnerable,” continued Irina Saghoyan.
“All efforts must be made to prevent the separation of children from their caregivers and to ensure immediate family tracing and reunification where separation occurs.
We know that the faster we act, the more likely we are to successfully reunite children with their caregivers.
We will continue to respond where the need is greatest and where children need urgent protection,” concluded Irina Saghoyan.
HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATION ON CHILDREN IN UKRAINE: ‘AVOID SEPARATION FROM FAMILIES’
The organisation calls on border authorities and humanitarian organisations to implement measures to try to keep children with their primary caregivers, to provide child-centred psychosocial support and to implement programmes to prevent separation from families.
These services should include child-friendly spaces and information, family search and reunification, and maternal and child health support.
Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014, providing essential humanitarian aid to children and their families, supporting their access to education, supporting them psychosocially, distributing winter kits and hygiene kits, and providing money to families so that they can meet basic needs such as food, rent and medicine, or so that they can invest in new activities.
Save the Children staff and volunteers are distributing food, water and hygiene products to refugees arriving at the Romanian-Ukrainian border and in reception centres.
In Poland and Romania, they are providing child protection services, such as targeted support for unaccompanied and separated children, psychosocial support and access to legal services.
In Italy, the organisation is also active at the Fernetti crossing point, where it works in partnership with Unicef to distribute basic necessities, information and health devices to refugee children arriving in our country.
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