The current generation of young Ukrainians had to grow up quickly. Some of them had to say goodbye to dad and home and go on a long journey to other countries, where the world seems strange and incomprehensible. Someone is still in the Motherland, but not safe, studying in bomb shelters and shuddering at the sounds of explosions. Even after removing the psychological aspect, the war will have dire consequences for the country’s demographic situation. It will take decades to overcome them and heal the wounds of war.
How the war affected children can already be seen based on state reports and data from international or non-governmental organizations, however, the full picture can be seen and evaluated only after the end of the war.
How many Ukrainian children are abroad?
According to the results of the study Center for Economic Strategy (CES), as of January 2024, 4.9 million Ukrainians left abroad because of the war. 38%, or almost 2 million of them, are children.
The largest share of Ukrainian refugees in Europe is in Germany (30%) and Poland (22%). Outside of European countries, the largest countries in terms of the number of Ukrainians accepted since the beginning of the full-scale invasion are the USA (280,000 people), Great Britain (253,200) and Canada (210,200).
Not all Ukrainians will return home even after the end of the war. According to CEC forecasts, 1.4 million to 2.3 million Ukrainians may remain abroad.
How many children were injured as a result of hostilities?
Psychological or mental injuries of war children are the subject of future research. Currently, there are no accurate statistics and official estimates on this issue. as for physical damage, from the beginning of the full-scale war until April 30, as a result of hostilities, 1854 little Ukrainians. In particular, 545 children died. Another 1,309 minors received injuries of various degrees of severity. Such data were published by the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine.
disappeared
There is another category of children that arose as a result of hostilities – these are minors who are considered missing. Most of these children are considered deported by the Office of the Ombudsman. They were taken to the territory of the country not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities, to Russia or Belarus. Currently, more than 19,000 minor Ukrainians can be classified as “deported”.
Status “child of war”
Despite all of the above, the status of “child of war” remains a formality. Until 2017, only those who were children during the Second World War were considered such, and until June 2023, only minors from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions could receive the status of a child of war.
Currently, according to the Ukrainian legislation, a child who did not reach the age of majority at the time of hostilities, armed conflicts, armed aggression of the Russian Federation can apply for the corresponding status.
In fact, the status of “child of war” is granted due to such circumstances as receiving injuries, contusions, mutilations; physical or sexual violence, abduction or illegal removal outside Ukraine, involvement in the actions of paramilitary or armed groups, illegal detention, including in captivity; psychological violence.
However, even after obtaining the appropriate status, the child will not be entitled to any additional benefits or payments. A bill that provided for similar support for war children in 2023 was not supported by parliament.
Today, only children of combatants are entitled to benefits.
