Football kits - Jaaikaran Chanana

Millions of children and families are in immediate danger as war continues in Ukraine.

3.3 million children in Ukraine are in need of support. Homes, schools, water supplies and hospitals have been damaged or destroyed. Children of ukraine have been separated from their families, and hundreds of thousands of people have been left without clean water, food or electricity. Explosives are a daily threat to children’s lives.

We are working around the clock in Ukraine and at the borders of neighbouring countries, providing access to clean water, health care services and other critical support.

With your kind support, we can help more children and families affected by this crisis.

Please donate to help protect children in Ukraine.

How we are helping children in Ukraine?

We have been working tirelessly to keep children safe since this conflict began eight years ago and are determined to remain in Ukraine to reach the most vulnerable children and families.

Over 4.5 million children and women in Ukraine have been able to access primary health care.

Over 3.5 million people have been provided with access to safe drinking water and over 965,000 people have received critical water, sanitation and hygiene supplies.

While UNICEF-supported mental health and psychosocial support interventions have reached over 2.2 million children and caregivers.

And over 850,000 children have been engaged in education.

Working with local governments and the UNHCR, we have created 25 Blue Dot safe spaces for children and women. Blue dot shelters provide a safe space for families seeking refuge as well as providing water and sanitation supplies.

How charities can support Ukraine.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and millions displaced.i,ii The antagonists, particularly the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, have often ignored the international conventions for protecting civilians in armed conflicts, most prominently documented in the abuse and deaths of Ukrainian noncombatants in the town of Bucha.iii

As these horrors continue to unfold, so too are mental health crises among survivors as they attempt to cope with the myriad physical and psychological traumas endured. Though the direct physical impact of this armed conflict on civilians has dominated the global consciousness, medical literature suggests that the traumas of migration and settlement may have an even greater impact on their long-term psychiatric well-being while also exacerbating the impact of pre-migration trauma.iv,v,vi,vii,viii

Psychosocial risk factors and policies that address these vulnerabilities can reduce the severity of post-migration trauma and associated behavioral health complications and can therefore be a critical area of intervention for Ukrainian refugees.

It is well-established that the number of traumatic events and their chronicity can mediate long-term psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and psychosis. Many Ukrainian refugees have already experienced traumatic violence and assaults, including death, rape, bombardment, and inhumane living conditions in areas of Russian occupation.

However, these refugees now face many potential additional psychosocial traumas stemming from separation from loved ones, loss of social networks, fear for the safety of family members, unstable housing, and barriers to employment, education, and medical care. Making matters worse, they must grapple with the stressors of the asylum-seeking process, including marginalization and discrimination, acculturating to a new environment, adopting a new language, and changes in gender roles and social status. These factors have all been recognized as social determinants of health which can negatively impact the mental health of refugee populations, especially when they accumulate and persist.

Direct medical interventions must also be comprehensive and exceed trauma-focused treatments. Providers must maintain cultural awareness while screening refugee patients for the immediate aftereffects of trauma and mental illness, as well as screening for other health conditions which may have arisen during forced displacement, such as malnutrition and infectious disease.

Ukraine Refugees - Jaaikaran Chanana

Ongoing military operations by Russia not only pose a threat to the physical health of Ukrainian civilians but also a grave danger to their psychological well-being. Mental health consequences of trauma are often overlooked and may be mostly invisible. As such, resources for mental healthcare are generally not prioritized. This neglect is a mistake. Humanitarian responses, including support from host countries, funders, and intergovernmental organizations must address both the immediate and long-term mental health needs of Ukrainians.

Prior to the war, mental health conditions, such as depressive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), were Ukraine’s second leading cause of disability and affected roughly 30 percent of the population. The country was already burdened by one of the world’s highest suicide rates. Access to evidence-based mental healthcare, lack of trust in the mental healthcare system, and mental health-related stigma were serious barriers even before the war.

In addition to treating mental health distress, initiatives should also focus on strengthening mental well-being, which involves developing resilience and coping strategies.

When considering long-term solutions to Ukraine’s mental healthcare crisis, improving the identification of ukraine mental health needs, as well as preventing the development of psychiatric illnesses, should be heavily prioritized.

In Ukraine, long-term financing for mental health response and coordination between national and international partners will be important to ensure that psychosocial support offered to impacted Ukrainians is sustainable. Training health professionals in evidence-based mental health approaches that target trauma, such as prolonged exposure or cognitive processing therapy, are also needed.