About 1.5 million children have left Ukraine because of threats to their health and lives.– UNICEF reports.
“The war in Ukraine leads to mass displacements and refugee flows – conditions that could lead to a significant surge in human trafficking and an acute crisis in the field of child protection", — UNICEF Regional Director Afshan Khan said.
In the first week of hostilities in Ukraine alone, UNICEF officers found more than 500 unaccompanied children crossing the border into Romania. The total number of unaccompanied children who find themselves abroad without adult supervision can be much higher.
To strengthen the protection of children, the United Nations and civil society partners have set up information centers in neighboring countries, such as Poland, so-called “blue dots" to provide basic services to families.
UNICEF also calls on Ukraine’s neighboring governments to step up checks to protect children at borders and key locations such as railway stations.
