Every year on April 4, the world celebrates the International Day of Mine Awareness and Mine Action Assistance. This day was established by the UN General Assembly to draw the attention of governments, international organizations and society to the need to clear territories of mines, ammunition and explosive remnants of war. It is also intended to support efforts to protect the civilian population, particularly children, and to promote education as one of the key means of preventing accidents.
Terrible statistics
For Ukraine, this is not a formality, but a daily reality. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the country has been among the countries most polluted by mines and ammunition in the world. According to the Ministry of Defense, about 139 thousand square kilometers of the territory of Ukraine are potentially mined. This is about a quarter of the area of the state.
According to official data, as of April 4, 2025, at least 336 people, including 18 children, were killed as a result of the explosions. Another 825 Ukrainians were injured, including 92 children. The territories where hostilities took place remain dangerous even after de-occupation. The threat will not go away in the coming years—it is a decade-long task.
Activities of the State Emergency Service, UNICEF and Ministry of Education and Culture
Mine Awareness Day is being held in Ukraine today. Its aim is to spread knowledge about mine danger among children, parents, teachers and all those who work with children. DSNS together with UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine apply to teachers and all those who work with children, with a request to pay more attention to the topic of mine safety and conduct an educational session that can save lives.
Since 2016, the State Emergency Service together with UNICEF have been implementing a long-term mine education program. According to the head of the State Emergency Service Andrii Danyk, since February 24, 2022, sappers have defused more than half a million explosive objects. More than 1,700 km² of territories were surveyed. Every day, explosives technicians make dozens of trips, neutralizing an average of about a hundred objects.
Special attention is paid to educational work. A large number of materials for teaching children have been developed: comics, videos, games, interactive lessons, textbooks for teachers. Since 2023, mobile safety classes have been operating across the country, reaching more than 185,000 children in ten regions and Kyiv. This is especially important for regions where schooling is difficult or temporarily suspended.
With the support of UNICEF and the EU Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid, a study was also conducted among teenagers. It showed that 97% of them know the rules of mine safety, but it is boys aged 14-17 who often neglect them. They walk in abandoned war zones, explore forest strips and unfinished buildings – and get into the risk zone.
How to protect children: tips for parents and teachers
It is not always easy to explain the danger to a child, but it must be done calmly, clearly and regularly repeating the basic rules. Here are some tips that can help:
- Talk to children without bullying. It is better to explain the situation through examples or materials adapted to the child’s age: cartoons, games, short videos. Avoid saying things like “it’ll kill you if you walk,” instead say, “There are things that look interesting but can be very dangerous.”
- Repeat the three basic rules: do not approach, do not touch, call 101. This is a key formula that all children should know. Remind her regularly by linking to examples (a bottle in the grass, an object in the forest, a box on the side of the road, etc.).
- Conduct lessons or mini-discussions at home and at school. These do not necessarily have to be special lessons. A short five-minute conversation, a game, or even a discussion of what you saw on TV is already a way to convey important information.
- Use verified sources. There are specially created materials for teachers and parents on the “Spilnoteka” platform of UNICEF or the online course “How to teach children mine safety” (developed by the NGO “Cultural Platform of Transcarpathia”).
- Be an example of caution. If a child sees an adult ignoring signs or entering a restricted area, he will do the same.
- Talk about the real consequences, but in a delicate way. Even school-aged children need to know that carelessness can lead to injury or death. The main thing is not to scare, but to explain the responsibility.
- Spread the knowledge. If you have ready-made materials or experience, share it with your child’s friends, acquaintances, classmates. The more people know, the better the chance to avoid a tragedy.
