UN humanitarian assistance coordinator Denise Brown in the village of Groza, Kharkov region. (Archive)) UN Coordinator: More than 600 children have been killed in Ukraine since February 2022 International law
Despite the war, Ukrainian children feel loved and protected. UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Denise Brown stated this on the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, which is celebrated on June 4.
“During my almost two years in Ukraine, I met many sweet, joyful and smiling Ukrainian children,” Brown said.
“Last Christmas in Groza, in the Kharkov region, when it was snowing, we shared chocolate and candy with the children of this small rural community. We talked about the future. One girl was quick to tell me she wanted to be a doctor, and another told me she wanted to be a teacher,” she added.
Brown recalled that more than 600 Ukrainian children have been killed since the Russian invasion escalated in February 2022, with another 1,420 injured.
She noted that these figures reflect the data that the UN was able to verify. “Despite our repeated requests for access to Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation, in full compliance with international humanitarian law, our requests are always rejected,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator.
Brown said that when she remembers the children she met in Ukraine, she also can’t help but think about the children she will never meet again.
“In the same Groza there lived an 8-year-old boy who died when a Russian missile hit his village on October 5, 2023. “So many more children died while sleeping or playing,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator.
“The monstrous truth is that their number is increasing almost every day , as civilian infrastructure is constantly under attack. Last week in Kharkov, a shopping center, an office building and a park collapsed in a few minutes. These are places where children are,” she added.
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She emphasized that the Russian invasion has been causing enormous physical, psychological and emotional harm to children, destroying their lives and jeopardizing their future.
Brown reported that children in the front-line areas had to spend a total of up to seven months due to incessant attacks. “Childhood should not be spent underground,” she said.
The Russian Federation has approved and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but, according to Brown, Russia is ignoring its obligations. And it is for this reason – for the murder and mutilation of Ukrainian children – that the Secretary-General in 2023 officially included Russia in the list of countries that violate the rights of children during the conflict, Brown emphasized.
She stated that the UN remains committed to supporting the people of Ukraine and will continue to document violations against children. “What is happening here must be documented for justice to be served,” she said. should perceive as normal what is happening in Ukraine. Children should not grow up in war. War is not normal, and you can’t get used to it,” Brown concluded.