Ukraine Emergency

What is the situation for children in Ukraine?

For more than 365 days, war has been raging in Ukraine. Children have suffered death, destruction and displacement every single day. Millions of kids have been forced to flee their homes, and those left behind are struggling without electricity, clean water, sanitation and heating.  

The situation in Ukraine remains horrific. But it’s not without hope.  

Thanks to amazing UNICEF donors, we've remained in Ukraine and continue to deliver urgent emergency aid and assistance. Yet, despite our ongoing humanitarian efforts, the needs of children and families remains huge. We know times are tough financially - but we're asking Kiwis to dig deep to keep supporting the children and families of Ukraine.

With your help, we can continue to get aid to kids in desperate need.

Please donate now to support Children in Ukraine.  

How have UNICEF donors been helping? 

Since the war began, we’ve received many generous donations from kind-hearted Kiwis up and down Aotearoa. A huge thank you to everyone who donated and provided us with the fuel to continue our lifesaving work. 

Here’s a look at what UNICEF donors have helped achieve so far in 2023:  

• Provide more than 1.5 million children and women with access to primary healthcare through UNICEF-supported facilities and mobile health teams.

• Reach almost 750,000 children and caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support.  

• Provide more than 2.7 million people with access to safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene.

• Ensure almost 450,000 people received water, sanitation & hygiene supplies. 

• Ensure more than 340,000 children received support to continue their education, including providing educational supplies and school-in-a-box kits.   

• More than 30,000 households have been reached with UNICEF-funded cash transfers.

If you haven’t donated, or want to donate again, please do so today. As the conflict continues in its second year, children need our help more than ever. 

Seven-month-old Oleksandr has come to a UNICEF-supported health clinic in Kviv with his mother, and sister Vira (6). After being examined by a paediatrician, Oleksandr receives a DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) and polio vaccine to keep him healthy and safe. UNICEF continues to supply vaccines and cold chain equipment in Ukraine. Just recently, we delivered 543,000 doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to protect Ukrainian children, like Oleksandr, against this deadly disease.

What are the needs of children and families in Ukraine? 

As the war in Ukraine continues, the situation for millions of kids there remains dangerous and desperate. We won't stop delivering until we've reached every child who needs us. Any amount you can give today, will make a difference. 

Here's a snapshot of the current needs: 

• 17.6 million people in Ukraine need of a variety of humanitarian help to survive 

• 11 million children and adults need help accessing safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. 

• 14.6 million people are in need of primary healthcare and vaccinations.

• 5.3 million children need support to continue their education. 

• 3.4 million kids need child protection services including ongoing mental health and psychosocial support.

Varvara (7) and her mother Iulia are from Chernihiv, Ukraine. Varvara has just received a clothing kit from UNICEF. Thanks to UNICEF's work, every day, hundreds of refugee families in Moldova receive warm clothes, hygiene products and a little hope. UNICEF Moldova will continue to provide lifesaving assistance to help parents make their children's lives healthier and safer.

UNICEF has been in Ukraine for more than 25 years, and we’re not going anywhere. We have offices and teams across the country, and in neighbouring countries, working around the clock to deliver for children.

We have decades of experience responding in emergency situations (more than 300 each year). And with a web of supply hubs and logistic networks across the world, and expert committed staff on the ground - we are uniquely positioned to maximise the impact of every dollar donated.

Please donate now. 

You can help us continue to deliver life-saving supplies for Ukrainian children and their families. 

Every day, 12-year-old Amina visits her former school in Myrnohrad in eastern Ukraine to collect drinking water. There are several drinking and utility water points in the city, which help families in the absence of a stable water supply. One of them is a borehole in the yard of Amina's school. “I'd prefer to go to school for studying, not for collecting water,” says Amina, sadly. UNICEF has helped repair water supply networks and install water storage tanks in several districts of Myrnohrad.

If you would like to donate over the phone, call our friendly team on 0800 243 575.

If you would like to donate direct to our bank account, please use account 01-0505-0463764-00 and code 'UKR-WS'.

In the unlikely event that the funds raised exceed UNICEF’s funding requirements for this appeal, your one off or monthly gift will go to our Greatest Need.  

Your life-saving monthly donations will support this appeal for 6 months. After that they will go into our Global Parent fund to save and protect children worldwide.

UPDATED: 18th May, 2023.