Ukraine needs two things right now. First of all, this deadly war of destruction and destruction must come to an end. Second, the younger generation of Ukrainians must be healthy, educated, resilient and ready to undertake the colossal task of rebuilding their country.
I cannot comment on what needs to be done to bring about lasting peace in the region, although my friends with relevant expertise say it is at least possible. But I am well aware that this is just the beginning of what Ukraine’s children and youth will need.
The hard reality is that the region’s health care and rehabilitation systems, its schools and social support capabilities, which were stretched before the war, are struggling to meet the needs.
Since the start of the war, UNICEF estimates that approximately two third Children from Ukraine have been evacuated from eastern cities under siege to relatively safe shelters such as Lviv in the west of the country, or to host countries entirely outside Ukraine, mainly Poland.
I traveled to the region in April and May, eager to see for myself what it is like on the ground in this very dire crisis for millions of Ukrainian children.
First on the agenda in Lviv was a visit to a hospital caring for war victims. Even being director of a pediatric intensive care unit early in my career did not prepare me for the level of pediatric trauma I had witnessed over the many hours in that facility.
I saw a 10-year-old girl with serious injuries on her head and right shoulder. She was recovering physically, but she had her parents killed by Russian soldiers outside their apartment building in a suburb of Odessa. I can’t begin to predict when and how his psychological recovery will happen.
And then there were the 11-year-old twins, beautiful babies who were among the scores injured or killed when, according to Ukrainian officials, struck by a Russian missile. railway station In Kramtorsk while people were waiting to be evacuated. The boy had gone to get breakfast for the trip and was essentially unwell, but his sister lost both legs. His mother had lost a leg and suffered serious hand injuries.
These stories are heartwarming, but the survivors of the war right outside the hospital walls pose a different set of challenges that could actually sabotage Ukraine’s long-term future. Many children are stressed, grieving and distracted, and many have not been to school since the invasion began.
Shelters for refugee children and families in Warsaw, Poland, and internally displaced children in Lviv are full of suffering children in unfamiliar settings. Most fathers are struggling, mothers struggling to keep spirits up and figure out how to provide basic necessities for the long haul, knowing that many of the cities they fled They can be uninhabited for years, if not decades.
To be clear, the staff members serving these families in both cities are wonderfully caring, but the inner strength isn’t inexhaustible even for the most resilient moms and kids. Time eventually destroys almost one’s ability to deal with persistent adversity.
The hard reality is that the region’s health care and rehabilitation systems, its schools and social support capabilities, which were stretched before the war, are struggling to meet the needs. Lviv region needs to provide for now about 2 million internally displaced Children and adults who have been taking refuge there since late February. Warsaw alone has welcomed the least 300,000 UkrainiansIts population has increased by 17% in the last three months.
While I hope that the immediate priorities of food, acute health care, safety and shelter will be taken care of, thanks to humanitarian response organizations such as UNICEF, Save the Children, International Medical Corps and the like, How and Where Ukrainian Children Displaced. They will need mental health care which is not clear. And what about educational continuity? Can schools in Lviv or Warsaw and other host communities accommodate the hundreds of thousands of children who have emigrated from eastern Ukraine?
In refugee shelters outside Ukraine, the language barrier, not only the available classroom space and number of teachers, is another challenge. internet based distance study system, which children have been using during the war, can certainly help. But many kids don’t have a tablet or a laptop. Even for those with hardware, there is little evidence to document the speed and effectiveness of distance learning as an alternative to learning in the classroom.
As far as mental health support is concerned, every teacher, health care worker and political leader I spoke to in Lviv expressed concern that many of the internally displaced children who are now being sheltered in the region He has suffered psychological trauma. The children had fled Russian brutality for fear of their lives, lost loved ones and friends, and missed fathers who were fighting.
Although the challenges facing Ukraine’s children are dire, it is worth reminding ourselves that they are not insurmountable.
And at a Warsaw high school, I met Ukrainian teenagers who apparently suffered in silence, already displaying evidence of post-traumatic stress, such as difficulty sleeping, isolation from others, and depression.
A major problem with the inevitable disruption caused by war is that children who lose ground academically or suffer persistent, untreated psychological trauma (or both) have little chance of living productive, successful lives in the future. There may be significant challenges.
This is a concern because once the war is over, in addition to the enormous and costly need to physically rebuild Ukraine, all Ukrainians must be prepared and able to take responsibility for its recovery.
Although the challenges facing Ukraine’s children are dire, it is worth reminding ourselves that they are not insurmountable. a new organization Ukraine Children’s Action ProjectWhich I co-founded with my wife, Karen, is working with leaders in Warsaw and Lviv to think of strategies that can make a difference for children who make a difference in their own choices. Without it, the world is trapped in disorientation, fear and tension.
But I must stress that these challenges must be addressed by international organizations collaborating with local efforts. I have met extensively with the mayors of Lviv and Warsaw, as well as members of their administrations. Lviv Mayor Andrey Sadovy is working on several impressive plans to accommodate displaced Ukrainians seeking asylum in his city. And Warsaw’s dynamic mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski, is determined to provide appropriate support for Ukrainian refugees – especially children – who have settled there.
So here’s what needs to be done next.
First, there is broad agreement that more teachers and mental health professionals should be identified and hired. However, all such professionals must be fluent in the Ukrainian language and specially trained to deal with psychologically afflicted children.
Second, every school-age displaced Ukrainian child must be enrolled in school or a good quality distance learning program. The Ukraine Children’s Action Project will support the development of specialized schools in Warsaw and Lviv, designed to provide a full range of “wraparound” support (social services, counseling, nutrition and so on) for displaced children.
In addition, supportive summer programs with a mission similar to those of specially designed schools will benefit many children.
Finally, many children who have been moved from war zones to a safer place may not be diagnosed or treated for health problems that hinder learning. Such concerns include visual problems, behavioral problems and even hunger.
The good news here is that the programs being used for the Ukraine Children’s Action Project are among programs that Karen and I have developed over 35 years as part of the Children’s Health Fund. In other words, we already have initiatives designed to identify and reduce so-called “health barriers to learning.”
But does it remain an ambitious agenda? Yes. However, as priority is given to the more immediate needs of Ukrainian children, addressing their mental health and access to education will prove to be just as important. Ukraine cannot afford to lose a generation of children if it is to secure the hope and possibility of a post-war future.