Four Years of War and What We're Doing About It
The situation now
Four years since full-scale war erupted in Ukraine, children are still living through one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. 2025 was the deadliest year since 2022, as intensifying air strikes and drone attacks pushed families further to breaking point.
According to our own analysis of official alert data, children in Ukraine have endured an average of around 4,000 hours of air raid alarms since February 2022 - the equivalent of more than five and a half months of continuous alerts. In frontline areas and the Kyiv region, that figure reaches approximately 7,000 hours. For some children, the sound of sirens has become the soundtrack of their entire childhood.
Today, 10.8 million people need humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, including around 2 million children. Almost 3.7 million people remain displaced inside the country, many surviving in damaged homes or crowded accommodation. With over 4,450 education facilities damaged or destroyed and daily alerts interrupting lessons, one in three children still cannot attend school in person.
Page updated March 2026.
Heorhii* (7) and his mother Olha* live in eastern Ukraine and have both sustained severe blast injuries during the war. Heorhii* and Olha* have received ongoing case management support via Save the Children's partner, Slavic Heart, which has included psychosocial support, cash assistance, food, clothes and supporting access transport and medical services.
What this means for children
The psychological toll on children is severe. Our research from 2024 found that more than four in 10 children were suffering from psychosocial distress, with some developing speech defects, uncontrollable twitching, nightmares and disrupted sleep.
Around half of all air raid alerts fall between 9pm and 7am, robbing children of consistent sleep and a sense of safety. Parents report children becoming anxious and withdrawn; some have developed physical symptoms from the stress. "Our children have suffered both psychologically and physically," says Anna*, Social Worker from Slavic Heart, who helped Heorhii* and Olha* after a missile attack. "It is very hard for them to hear constant explosions. This creates fear in children and in parents."
Despite all of this, children in Ukraine continue to show extraordinary resilience - and that resilience deserves to be met with sustained, meaningful support.
Our response
We've worked in Ukraine since 2014, and rapidly scaled up after February 2022. Led by a local team of 200 staff and around 25 partners, we've helped more than 4.7 million people - including more than 1.9 million children - in Ukraine since the war escalated. In 2025 alone, we supported over 434,100 people through safe learning spaces, mental health support, cash assistance and essential items.
Here's what that support looked like in 2025:
Through our education programmes, we supported 148,200 children via Digital Learning Centres for remote learning and by rehabilitating schools and nurseries - including support for teachers and children with disabilities.
Through child protection, we helped 77,800 children to stay safe by running child-friendly spaces where they can learn, play and receive mental health support, while also training local partners to protect children from dangers including landmines.
Through cash and livelihoods support, we helped 20,500 people to rebuild their lives, providing cash and agriculture grants, and launching community-led recovery projects. A youth hackathon in Mykolaiv empowered young people to design their own recovery initiatives - ten of which are now being funded.
Through water, sanitation and hygiene support, we provided 165,400 people with essential items, safe shelter and hygiene supplies.
Through advocacy, we worked with local authorities in Dnipropetrovsk region to help children grow up in safe, family-based environments instead of institutions, expanding care options for the most vulnerable.
Anastasiia*, 8, paints the candle holder she created at clay classes at the Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
How You Can Help Children in Ukraine
Children in Ukraine didn't choose this war - but together, we can choose to stand with them. A monthly gift means our teams can plan long-term support, from ongoing mental health programmes to education and protection services, staying close to children not just in moments of crisis but throughout their recovery.
Your support could provide warmth, safety, and hope to children facing unimaginable hardship. Together, we can make a difference.
Become a monthly donor
Your generous donation could provide children and families affected by the war in Ukraine, as well as other disasters across the world. It can also help create lasting change through longer term programmes to alleviate poverty and the chronic impact of climate change.
How your donations are helping children
As of February 2025, together with local partners, we've helped more than 4.6 million people - including more than 1.8 million children - in Ukraine and the region over the last three years.
This is only possible because of people like you: since 24th February 2022, you raised an astonishing £445 million through the DEC Ukraine Appeal.
Here's what we've done with some of that money so far...
In Ukraine
As of February 2025, our team in Ukraine has reached over 3.8 million children. Through your incredible support and our 25 partners we’ve been able to:
- support over 300,000 children with education support
- provide over 470,000 people with cash assistance
- provided 2.6 million people with water, sanitation, and hygiene support (WASH)
- distribute temporary shelter and essential items to 415,000 people
- provide mental health and child protection support to over 349,000 people
For more information on our impact in Ukraine, read our latest report.
Meet our child psychologists
Become a monthly donor
By giving monthly you can be ready to reach children before disaster strikes.
Our work with families who've fled Ukraine
Many families fled to neighbouring countries expecting to return, but worsening conditions in Ukraine have forced them to stay. Since 2022, we've supported 584,600 people across Romania, Lithuania and Poland, including more than 21,300 people in 2025 alone.
In poland
Around 985,000 refugees from Ukraine have fled to Poland.
In Poland, we have been supporting children and families who were forced to flee their homes in Ukraine.
How your donations are helping children
In Poland, having supported more than 183,000 Ukrainians since 2022, we made the decision to transition all programmes to local leadership and close our Warsaw office at the end of 2025 - working with 18 partners to ensure refugee children remained integrated into Polish care and education services. This is what sustainable, locally-led humanitarian response looks like in practice.
See the camps in full swing
In romania
Romania has been a key transit country for families fleeing conflict in Ukraine. By the end of December 2024, more than 6.8 million people had crossed into Romania since February 2022, with more than 175,400 people remaining in the country today.
How your donations are helping children
In Romania, we've supported more than 369,200 people through counselling hubs, border crossing points and transit centres - offering emotional care, practical guidance and safe spaces for children and families. In 2025, we helped over 8,900 people, including providing cash to 2,310 people and mental health support to over 2,000 children.
Inside our child friendly spaces
Become a monthly donor
By becoming a monthly donor, you can ensure that our teams reach children all over the world, all year round.
Guaranteed income means we can plan long term solutions for children - like providing ongoing mental health support, or supporting them through our education work.
It also means you will remain close to the work we do and your unique impact through regular updates from us!
Becoming a monthly donor is the best gift you can give a child.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
How does the conflict affect children's education?
-
Over 4,450 education facilities in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed since 2022. Daily air raid alerts disrupt lessons, and one in three children still cannot attend school in person. This winter, power cuts and infrastructure attacks have forced extended school closures - with 300,000 children in Kyiv alone kept out of the classroom until February.
Beyond physical access, interrupted sleep from overnight sirens makes it harder for children to concentrate and learn, compounding the impact on their development.
-
What is the mental health impact on children?
-
Our 2024 research found that more than four in 10 children in Ukraine were experiencing psychosocial distress. Some have developed speech defects, involuntary twitching and sleep disorders. Around 50% of air raid alerts occur at night, chronically disrupting children's sleep and sense of safety.
-
Is it safe for Save the Children to operate in Ukraine?
-
We've worked in Ukraine since 2014 and have extensive experience delivering aid in conflict zones. Our team of 200 staff works with around 25 local partners across the country, including frontline regions. We continuously monitor the security situation and adapt our operations to protect both our staff and the families we serve.
-
What are the biggest challenges facing families this winter?
-
Families are facing multiple, overlapping crises: freezing temperatures, power cuts disrupting heating and water supplies, damaged or destroyed homes, and the constant threat of further attacks. Many are resorting to desperate measures - heating bricks for warmth, cooking on camp stoves, and sleeping in tents indoors. Children are losing sleep due to air raid sirens and missing crucial education time.
*Names changed to protect identities.
