Children from frontline areas spent 5,000 hours in basements – UNICEF

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During two years of full-scale war, children in the frontline areas spent more than 5 thousand hours or almost 7 months in shelters.

Malecha spent so much time hiding from Russian shelling in basements or subway stations during air raids. This was announced by the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF.

The air alert was announced about 3,500 times in Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, and almost 6,200 times in Donetsk region.

“The war in Ukraine destroyed children’s childhood. It harmed children’s mental health and their ability to learn.

The children survived two years of cruelty and isolation; they are separated from their families, experience the loss of loved ones and forced relocation, have problems with access to education and health care services”– said the executive director of UNICEF Catherine Russell.

According to the organization, it is especially difficult for Ukrainians in winter – thousands of children are forced to hide in cold and damp basements, as many families were left without heating, water and electricity supply due to shelling.

UNICEF says that half of children aged 13-15 have trouble sleeping, and one in five suffer from intrusive thoughts and memories, which can be symptoms of PTSD.

Three quarters of Ukrainian children and youth aged 14 to 34 also reported that they needed emotional or psychological support.

The war also affected education.

“Due to constant shelling, children in Ukraine have almost no chance to recover from the suffering and trauma associated with the war, and every siren, every sound of explosions brings even more suffering. Education gives children a sense of hope and stability. But millions of Ukrainian schoolchildren have problems accessing education or do not have the opportunity to study at all”. Catherine Russell added.

It will be recalled that earlier the international PISA study showed that 42% of Ukrainian students did not reach the basic level of literacy in mathematics.