Dozens of civilian casualties were reported over the
weekend and into Monday, with children among the injured,
according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
The
hardest-hit areas include Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson,
Kyiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.
“Meanwhile, our
humanitarian colleagues tell us that evacuations of
civilians continue from frontline communities in the Donetsk
region,” Mr. Dujarric told journalists in New
York on Monday.
Between 24 and 26 October, more than
900 people were evacuated, he added, noting also that the
Ukraine Humanitarian Fund has released $13 million since May
to support local and national NGOs in the Kharkiv region,
aiding nearly 76,000 residents.
Roughly half of those
reached are women and girls. Assistance has included cash
transfers, shelter, health services, water, sanitation,
hygiene support and measures to prevent gender-based
violence.
‘You can’t see
anything’
Winterisation – providing lifesaving
aid to vulnerable populations to protect them from cold
weather and harsh conditions – is a major concern, the UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
warns.
Kenan Madi, Chief of Field Operations UNICEF
Ukraine, told UN
News that families along the frontlines
urgently need heating, warm clothing and other essential
supplies.
“The attacks on infrastructure are
impacting basic services – from hospitals to water
utilities to district heating – making everyday
life extremely difficult for children,” he
said.
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“I just had a colleague who came back from
Chernihiv,” he continued, adding: “The only
thing he told me was, ‘It’s really dark — you can’t
see anything.’ Some rural areas are in total blackout.
That’s what children are living through in Ukraine right
now.”
UN response
Amid these
conditions, UN agencies continue their efforts to reach
communities with aid. UNICEF has provided access to safe
drinking water for 300,000 people in September alone and
more than three million nationwide so far this
year.
Education remains disrupted: approximately
350,000 children in frontline regions attend school in
person, while over 400,000 follow a blended schedule and
around 280,000 continue fully online.
To mitigate
these disruptions, the agency supports over 150 learning
centres offering catch-up classes, social-emotional support
and safe learning spaces. It has also rehabilitated
more than 100 schools and kindergartens since 2022,
with 42 additional facilities under repair this
year.
Mental health a priority
Mental health
services are also a priority. Last month, UNICEF reached
16,000 children and 25,000 caregivers in frontline areas
with psychosocial support and over 300,000 people have
received mental health assistance throughout 2025.
Mr.
Madi highlighted the human toll, referring to the challenges
faced by a mother of twins who have autism.
“She
deserves to get the help she needs, but this is not the
story of one person alone. There are many households
who are struggling with their daily lives. There
are many stories on the front lines and unfortunately year
after year it is becoming harder for the people, especially
children, and this is something which is very worrying for
us.”
