Attacks in Ukraine have killed at least 25 children in the first quarter
The number of children killed in attacks in Ukraine has increased by almost 40% this year, compared to 2023, with UNICEF registering 25 children killed in the first quarter of this year, it was announced today.
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Mundo UNICEF
"Attacks between 1 January and 31 March 2024 resulted in the deaths of 25 children, according to verified data collected by the UN," said the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), based on verified data.
"The youngest victim was just two months old," said the UN agency, which estimates that nine children were killed in the first three weeks of April.
The information released today recalled the statements made last week, after a visit to Ukraine, by UNICEF's regional director for Europe and Central Asia, Regina De Dominicis: "As deadly attacks continue, children and their families are forced to endure even more loss and destruction."
"Each attack delays recovery and reconstruction efforts, prolonging the deterioration in children's quality of life," said the official, noting that "no place is safe for children" in the country.
According to official UN data, at least 600 children have been killed in attacks since the escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia in 2022 and more than 1,300 children have been injured, but according to the institution, the "real number of minors killed and injured is probably much higher".
UNICEF also reported that thousands of homes, 36 health units and 140 educational facilities were damaged or destroyed in the first three months of the year, with the attacks also affecting energy supplies and water sources, "damaging critical services and putting the lives and well-being of children at even greater risk".
The agency also warned that two years of war preceded by two years of the covid-19 pandemic "meant that children's access to education was disrupted for more than four years" and that currently almost one million children are unable to access face-to-face learning due to insecurity.
UNICEF also reported that it needs an additional $250 million (about 233 million euros) to provide support to children and families in Ukraine.
The Russian military offensive in Ukrainian territory, launched on 24 February 2022, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since the Second World War (1939-1945).
Recent months have been marked by large-scale Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Kyiv forces have targeted Russian territory near the border and in the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed in 2014.
Read Also: Kyiv claims to have repelled Russian attacks in the Donetsk region (Portuguese version)
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