GENEVA/KYIV, 17 February 2026 – More than a third of
Ukraine’s children – 2,589,900 – remain displaced as
the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year. This includes more
than 791,000 children inside Ukraine and nearly 1,798,900
children living as refugees outside the
country.
“Millions of children and families
have fled their homes in search of safety, with 1 in 3
children remaining displaced four years into this relentless
war. For children in Ukraine, safety is increasingly hard to
come by as attacks on civilian areas continue across the
country. In many ways, the war is following these
children,” said UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and
Central Asia Regina De Dominicis.
Many children have
been forced to flee their homes multiple times. A recent
survey conducted by UNICEF found that of those displaced, 1
in 3 adolescents aged 15-19 years reported moving at least
twice. Safety was cited as the most common reason for
fleeing.
Bombardments, including intensified
long-range strikes, have killed or injured more than 3,200
children since 24 February 2022. Last year saw a 10 per cent
increase in child casualties compared to 2024, the third
consecutive year in a row that UN-verified child casualties
have increased.
The services children rely on
have been decimated over the past four years and are under
increased strain. More than 1,700 schools and other
education facilities have been damaged or destroyed,
resulting in 1 in 3 children unable to attend in-person
schooling full-time.
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Recent strikes on energy
infrastructure have left millions of children and families
struggling to survive in extreme sub-zero temperatures as
they are forced to endure days without heating, electricity
and water at home. Babies and young children are at the
highest risk of respiratory illnesses and hyperthermia in
these conditions, while medical facilities struggle to
operate under attacks and reduced energy, with nearly 200
medical facilities verified as damaged or destroyed in 2025
alone.
Aside from the physical dangers, children’s
mental health is increasingly under strain. Constant fear of
attacks, endless sheltering in basements, and isolation at
home with limited social connections have left adolescents
struggling. A recent survey found that one in four
15–19-year-olds is losing hope of a future in Ukraine,
pointing to an urgent need for safety and stability, and
investment in the critical services and opportunities that
children and young people need.
UNICEF has been
working across Ukraine and in neighboring host countries to
support children affected by displacement and ongoing
violence, delivering life-saving assistance and essential
services. UNICEF provides access to safe water, health care,
nutrition, education, child protection and mental health and
psychosocial support, while also helping repair and
rehabilitate critical infrastructure such as schools, health
facilities and water systems damaged by attacks.
In
2025, delivering through local authorities and partners,
UNICEF reached 7 million people, including 2.5 million
children with humanitarian support. UNICEF’s recovery
programming, working with national and local authorities,
strengthened social services for some 9.8 million people
across the country.
“Obligations under
international humanitarian law must be upheld and every
possible measure to protect children and the civilian
infrastructure they rely on must be taken. Every child has
the right to grow up in safety and without exception that
right must be respected,” said De
Dominicis.
