Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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February 17, 2026 Peace and security
Today, only 5,000 children remain in Kherson out of the more than 60,000 who lived there before the war. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is helping ensure their safety by supporting efforts to build bomb shelters. There, deep underground, young Kherson residents spend their childhood. The head of UNICEF's Ukrainian office told reporters in Geneva this, joining via video link from one of these bomb shelters.
According to Munir Mammadzade, Kherson is subjected to daily artillery shelling, which leads to the destruction of houses and critical infrastructureHe recounted the fate of one family recently affected by a strike: "On that freezing night in late January, Kateryna pushed her two children into the hallway and ran out after them. The explosions were louder than usual, even by Kherson standards, and suddenly a powerful blow destroyed their home."
Life is under attack
Sixteen-year-old Darya and eight-year-old Artem were injured by shrapnel. Ekaterina required surgery, but fortunately, they all survived. A local mobile child protection team, supported by UNICEF, visited the family in the hospital that same day, providing psychosocial support, cash assistance, and essential items. "The family is currently recovering from their injuries, but the house they rent outside the city does not guarantee their safety in this brutal war," Mammadzade said.
Struggle for survival
However, he added, the tragedy is that four years after the start of full-scale war, there are almost no safe places left in Kherson. "In the city of Kherson and the region where I am today, the daily life of children and their families is a struggle for survival," the UNICEF representative said. "This frontline area is covered with anti-drone nets, and Kherson residents spend their childhoods literally underground."
Protection centers
Today, 5,000 of the 60,000 children who once lived peacefully with their families and friends until their childhoods changed forever on February 24, 2022, remain in Kherson. Today, they study, play, and sleep in basements to escape shelling, a UNICEF representative noted.
"At the UNICEF-supported child protection center, I spoke with families and staff, including psychologists and social workers. They all spoke of the extreme exhaustion of families forced to live in a 24-hour state of constant anxiety," he said. "The constant fear of attacks, the endless need to hide in basements, and isolation at home with limited social contact take a heavy toll on children and adolescents, affecting their mental and physical health."
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At the same time, Mammadzade continued, such spaces offer a respite from the horrors happening above. "Here, you can sense an incredible determination to keep living. UNICEF helps children and families with precisely this," he emphasized.
Together with local authorities and partners, UNICEF supports seven child protection centers across the Kherson region, provides mobile teams with vital emergency assistance to victims, and strengthens alternative care systems for the most vulnerable children.
UNICEF has also created early childhood development and digital learning spaces in Kherson, as well as youth centers for skills development and social connections. Residents receive cash assistance, and local utility services support efforts to restore heating and water supplies. Similar assistance is being provided in other frontline areas.
Forced to flee
Mammadzade also drew attention to the fate of children forced to flee their homes. This concerns 2.6 million young Ukrainians. Approximately 1.8 million of them are living as refugees outside the country, and more than 791,000 are displaced within Ukraine.
The war, according to a UNICEF representative, is being felt most acutely in frontline areas, but people are suffering across the country: attacks on civilian areas continue, leading to the destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. "For example, the number of child deaths and injuries in Kyiv and the Kyiv region last year was almost four times higher than in 2024," Mammadzade recalled. "A recent UNICEF study showed that one in three adolescents aged 15-19 had been forced to move at least twice, and the main reason for fleeing was the search for safety. Other important factors include the quality of education and opportunities for skill development."
"Children and young people haven't given up on their future—and neither will we," concluded the UNICEF representative. "UNICEF works across Ukraine and in neighboring refugee-hosting countries to support children affected by displacement and ongoing violence."
The International Organization for Migration is helping Ukrainians.
Arthur Erken, Regional Director for Europe at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), also spoke to journalists in Geneva about the assistance provided to Ukrainians. Speaking from Vienna, he stated that since the full-scale invasion, more than 4.4 million people have returned to their areas of origin.
Of the million people who returned to Ukraine from abroad, 372,000 were unable to return to their home countries and are considered internally displaced. IOM provides them with comprehensive support to prevent further waves of displacement.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.