Sonia Khush, Save the Children’s Country Director in Ukraine, said:
“Hundreds of drones and missiles have struck Ukraine in recent hours, with at least four children injured in the strikes according to local reports.
“The bomb siren went on at six in the morning, and soon after the blasts started rocking the sky above Kyiv. I lost count of the explosions as the windows and walls in my apartment started shaking, and I had to quickly take shelter, as did millions of children and their families. Damp and cold basements, cellars, and subway stations – children had to endure difficult conditions paired with immense fear and distress as the air raid alert lasted almost ten hours.
“Across the country, entire cities remain without stable electricity and water supplies. Liquid petrol generators roar across the streets, and even critical pieces of infrastructure like children’s hospitals have switched to alternative sources of energy and limited their operations in response to the emergency blackouts.
“With the school year starting in just a week, up to a million children in Ukraine that rely on remote education risk will face new barriers to accessing online classes and may fall even more behind in their studies.
“The exact scale of damage to energy infrastructure is unclear but believed to be extensive, and no timeline is provided at the moment when the power supplies can be fully restored. Attacks against energy infrastructure are prohibited by the rules of war and are unacceptable as they deprive millions of children across Ukraine of healthcare and education.
“We call for all parties to this conflict to commit to their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure that children, their families, and essential civilian infrastructure are protected at all times.”
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