2024-03-21 19:06:37
More than 150,000 citizens of Ukraine have received temporary protection in Romania, and about 80,000 continue to benefit from the support of the government and Romanian society, Ukrainian Ambassador to Romania Ihor Prokopchuk said, quoted by BTA and Agerpress.
He expressed his appreciation for Romania’s support to refugees from Ukraine at a press conference organized by Save the Children Romania on the topic of the integration of migrant children.
The diplomat noted that civil society and non-governmental organizations were the first to respond immediately to this humanitarian crisis and the flow of Ukrainian citizens who crossed the Romanian border to escape the war in Ukraine.
Ihor Prokopchuk pointed out that the war in Ukraine also affects children, pointing out that more than 500 have lost their lives and more than 1,200 have been injured. He added that experts estimate that over 7.5 million children in Ukraine suffer psychological trauma from the war. According to him, the need for support for refugees from Ukraine continues, as Russia’s aggression against his country has not stopped.
According to a release from Save the Children, while over a third (38 percent) of children who were forced to flee to another country say they feel less happy after leaving their homeland, among children from Ukraine the share of those reporting sadness or greater tension was significantly greater.
A survey conducted by the organization showed that 57 percent of Ukrainian children surveyed said they felt either very unhappy or less happy. Of the refugee children from countries other than Ukraine who responded to the survey, nearly a quarter (23 percent) do not attend school. Among Ukrainian children, the share is smaller (5 percent), but they are more likely to study online (18 percent online only, 11 percent online and physical).
Of the children who learn both physically and online, 87 percent said they preferred in-person learning, 72 percent said they felt less alone when they physically went to school, and 60 percent said they could create friendships with children from the host country if they attend school in attendance.
Common difficulties refugee children mention include worrying about the future (45 percent), anxiety (32 percent) and difficulty sleeping (31 percent).
“Save the Children” organized in the period September-November 2023 18 group thematic discussions with the participation of 95 children from seven countries and 52 teachers from 11 countries. The organization surveyed over 222 children and 279 child representatives from Algeria, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine.