War in Ukraine: More and more children killed in deadly attacks

By Linda Bordoni

The youngest child to die in the war in Ukraine this year so far was just two months old. He was the tiniest of the 25 young victims of Russian attacks between January and March 2024.

According to a just-released report by UNICEF – the UN’s Children’s Fund – those tragic numbers point to an increase of nearly 40 per cent in child deaths compared to last year.

Nine more children were reportedly killed in attacks during the first three weeks of April.

UNICEF’s regional director for Europe and Central Asia also denounced the deterioration in the quality of life of Ukrainian children and said “Nowhere is safe for them.”

Regina De Dominicis’ words of warning came after a visit to Ukraine this week. “As deadly attacks continue, children and their families are forced to endure yet more loss and destruction,” she said, noting that every attack sets back recovery and rebuilding efforts.

“I am troubled to see that attacks across the country continue, destroying schools, health facilities and residential buildings,” she added.

Aftermath of a Russian strike on a residential building in Dnipro in April 2024 which killed at least 8 people, including 2 children

Pope's closeness

Pope Francis has repeatedly voiced his closeness to children suffering in war-struck Ukraine, noting they have lost their capacity to smile, and this – he says – is very serious.

According to official UN data, at least 600 children have been killed in attacks since the escalation of the war in 2022. More than 1,350 children have been injured. The true number of children killed and wounded is most probably considerably higher. 

Attacks on homes, schools, clinics

UNICEF noted also that the infrastructure that children rely on continues to come under attack, with thousands of homes, health and educational facilities damaged or destroyed in the first three months of the year.

Attacks affecting power supplies and water sources have further disrupted critical services, the UN Fund pointed out, putting children’s lives and well-being at further risk.

Education has been deeply affected with nearly half of Ukrainian children enrolled in school, missing out on in-person schooling, and with almost one million children across the country not able to access any in-person learning at all due to insecurity.

A school destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Lviv in February 2024