Emergency fund for Ukraine: 45,000 people need us

Over the past two years, SOS Children's Villages has maintained and expanded its operations both within Ukraine and in the countries receiving refugees. Thanks to its strong local and international presence, the organization is well-positioned to offer assistance to displaced and refugee families, as well as to children and adolescents who are in transit, unaccompanied, or separated from their families. "Children and adolescents without parental care are one of the most vulnerable groups during armed conflicts, at high risk of abandonment, neglect, violence, and trafficking. They often lack basic resources and the possibility to flee war zones," explain representatives from SOS Children's Villages.

In March 2022, the child care organization launched an Emergency Response Program through which it has assisted 378,990 people: 369,690 in Ukraine, including 221,210 children, and 9,300 refugees in various European countries. Assistance for the latter includes accommodation, financial support to meet basic needs, help with administrative procedures and schooling, as well as job counseling for adults and internet access. All of this aims to facilitate their integration and the recovery of the normalcy lost due to the war.

In Ukraine, SOS Children's Villages has extended its presence to nine regions: Kyiv, Zakarpattia, Kharkiv, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernihiv, and Odesa. This extensive geographical coverage has enabled the organization to contribute to the evacuation of 30,000 people, provide psychosocial and mental health support to 65,482, and deliver humanitarian aid to 157,807 through local partners. The organization has provided shelter, food, and non-food items especially to internally displaced populations.

Additionally, cash and voucher assistance programs have been implemented for 28,280 participants, targeting foster families, internally displaced persons, and families with children undergoing treatment for war injuries.

In its seven Social Centers, the organization has served more than 113,000 vulnerable children and families. The multidisciplinary work developed there includes psychosocial and mental health support through individual and group therapies, and resilience-strengthening activities for adults and children.

"The negative impact of the war on the mental health of the population is enormous, especially for those whose loved ones have been killed or injured, and who have seen their homes and cities destroyed. Children are particularly affected," say representatives from SOS Children's Villages. "Entire families face loss, grief, anxiety, fear, not knowing the whereabouts of their loved ones, having to leave their homes and schools, and being witnesses to or subjects of violence and isolation." Therefore, SOS Children's Villages has mobile teams operating in hard-to-reach areas, ensuring that their psychological support services reach those who need them most.

Simultaneously, SOS Children's Villages has created 73 Child-Friendly Spaces across the country, where they conduct recreational and educational activities adapted to various ages, and most importantly, where young children feel safe and can just be children again. These spaces have welcomed 60,976 participants over the past two years.

Both in these spaces and in the Social Centers, SOS Children's Villages has provided well-equipped learning environments and educational materials for studying, along with reinforcement classes and speech therapy support. The educational system in Ukraine has been severely affected by the escalation of the war, violating the right to education of millions of children.

Support for War-Wounded Children

Thanks to one of the projects created by SOS Children's Villages in response to the new needs generated by the conflict, access to comprehensive orthopedic, neurological, and psychological rehabilitation services has been provided to 1,166 war-wounded children, along with the acquisition of medications and medical supplies.

The program includes personalized psychological interventions and speech therapy, ensuring that children attend individual online educational sessions aligned with the school curriculum.

The war in Ukraine has disrupted the lives of millions of children, denying their human rights and separating families. In 2023, the situation became even more extreme. "As the conflict has devastated towns and cities near the frontline, humanitarian needs in these areas are reaching catastrophic levels: 40% of the population, including 4.1 million children, will need assistance throughout this year," warn representatives from the organization, alerting that "an entire generation of children is at risk of growing up without the care and support they need."