Toronto, March 25, 2025 – More children have been killed and injured over the past five days in Ukraine than during the entire month of January, said Save the Children as ceasefire talks come to a close in Saudi Arabia.
A missile strike in the northeastern town of Sumy on Monday was the latest in a string of attacks that have killed three children and injured 29 since Thursday, according to a Save the Children analysis of data released by local authorities. During January, 21 children were injured in Ukraine, and no children were killed. During February, four children were killed and 26 injured.
The news comes as a report from the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner found that the number of children killed or injured by aerial bombs in Ukraine increased 18-fold last year, and the number of children killed by explosive weapons doubled in the period between July and December 2024, compared with the same period in 2023 [1].
Three years of full-scale war in Ukraine has taken an unacceptable toll on children. For those who physically survive aerial bombardments, the mental toll is immense. According to the UN, 1.5 million children are at risk of PTSD and depression, with some children developing speech defects and uncontrollable twitching, while others scream in their sleep.
An analysis of the Save the Children’s case management data from 2024 found 43% of these children are suffering from psychosocial distress, showing symptoms such as anxiety, fear, moodiness, difficulty concentrating and irritability. This aligns with broader sector findings, which estimate that 84% of households identify psychosocial distress as an overwhelming risk to children in their communities. At least a third of respondents reported that children over the age of five were showing visible signs of mental health issues. [2]
Sonia Khush, Country Director for Save the Children in Ukraine, said: “For children in this brutal war, the scale of loss is catastrophic. A child’s right to a stable home, education, and carefree play has been replaced by the horrifying reality of sheltering from bombs for three years. This is utterly unacceptable.
“While world leaders deliberate, children’s lives are being shattered. Survivors endure life-altering physical injuries and the profound psychological trauma of growing up under constant threat of airstrikes, missile attacks, and explosive weapons.
“This ongoing devastation demands immediate action. Children must be protected, and an immediate cessation of hostilities is urgently needed to secure their safety and facilitate their recovery. We cannot stand idly by while this continues.”
Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014 and scaled up operations after full-scale war broke out in February 2022. Save the Children’s case management programme – implemented directly and through partners – delivers dedicated care for at-risk children and their families, including providing cash assistance, organizing health and mental health services and providing legal support.
ENDS
Sonia Khush is available for media interviews.
[1] 2025-03-21-ohchr-report-children-s-rights-in-ukraine.pdf
Save the Children analyzed data from a new report from the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, saying that the number of children killed or injured by aerial bombs increased from 9 in 2023 to 159 in 2024.
Overall, 100 per cent more children were killed and 146 per cent more were injured by explosive weapons with wide area effects in territory controlled by Ukraine from July to December 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
July to 31 December 2023: 20 children killed, 123 injured. 1 July to 31 December 2024: 40 children killed, 303 injured
[2] THREE YEARS OF LOSS AND FEAR: WAR IN UKRAINE SHATTERS CHILDREN’S LIVES
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