Situation extremely serious for east Ukraine children: UNICEF

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the situation in eastern Ukraine remains “extremely serious” for the over 1.7 million children affected by the ongoing conflict.

Kristen Elsby, the UNICEF’s communication director, made the remarks on Friday in a press briefing in the Swiss city of Geneva.

According to the UN agency, fighting between government troops and pro-Russia forces has left 147 schools closed in parts of Donetsk region, and disrupted the education of some 50,000 children since the beginning of September alone.

Elsby said the UN agency calls for USD 32.4 million to tackle the urgent needs of some 600,000 children and their families, including the needs for safe water, hygiene supplies and school material.

The UNICEF official also said nearly 530,000 people, including 130,000 children have been forced from their homes in the conflict-affected areas in Ukraine’s east since March this year.

Elsby continued by saying the displaced Ukrainian children are faced with hardships and very limited opportunities when trying to enroll in schools in host communities.

In addition, parents are not enrolling their children in new schools, “as they expect either further displacement or intend to return home.”

The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine have been the scene of deadly clashes between pro-Russia protesters and the Ukrainian army since Kiev’s military operation started in mid-April in a bid to crush the protests.

Violence intensified in May after the two flashpoint regions held local referendums in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine and joining the Russian Federation.