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1 mln children in east Ukraine in urgent need of assistance: UNICEF

Xinhua, February 18, 2017 Adjust font size:

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned Friday that the "volatile conflict in eastern Ukraine" has left 1 million children in need of immediate assistance, almost double the number recorded this time last year.

"This is an invisible emergency, a crisis most of the world has forgotten," said UNICEF's representative in Ukraine, Giovanna Barberis, in a statement.

"Children in eastern Ukraine have been living under the constant threat of unpredictable fighting and shelling for the past three years," she added.

The agency highlighted that the 200,000 girls and boys living within 15 km on each side of the "contact line," the front line dividing government and rebel held areas, are particularly at risk.

According to UNICEF, 19,000 children are endangered by landmines and other unexploded ordinance in this area, while 12,000 live in zones which are shelled on a monthly basis. Thousands are also forced to seek refuge in improvised bomb shelters in light of ongoing military operations.

In light of the dire situation on the ground, the UN body said teachers, psychologists and parents have documented signs of severe psychological distress among children.

These mental repercussions are often displayed in the form of nightmares, aggressive behavior, social withdrawal and panic attacks triggered by loud noises.

"After three horrific years, children in eastern Ukraine urgently need lasting peace, so that their unnecessary suffering ends," Barberis said.

Only 10 percent of UNICEF's 31.3 million U.S. dollars appeal for critical assistance in Ukraine has been funded so far. Endit