RSS
Ukraine's ambassador: Over 150,000 Ukrainian citizens benefited from temporary protection in Romania
Over 150,000 Ukrainian citizens benefited from temporary protection in Romania, and about 80,000 continue to benefit from the support of the Romanian government and society, Ukrainian Ambassador to Romania Ihor Prokopchuk said.
He voiced his appreciation for Romania's support to refugees from Ukraine on Wednesday at a press conference organised by Save the Children Romania on the integration of migrant children.
The diplomat pointed out that civil society and non-governmental organisations were the first to respond immediately to this humanitarian crisis and the influx of Ukrainian citizens who crossed the border into Romania to flee the war in Ukraine.
Yhor Prokopchuk warned that the war in Ukraine has also taken its toll on children, saying that more than 500 have lost their lives and more than 1,200 have been injured. According to Ambassador Prokopchuk, experts estimate that more than 7.5 million children in Ukraine are suffering from psychological trauma as a result of the war.
Last but not least, he pointed out that the need for support for refugees from Ukraine continues, as Russia's aggression against his country has not stopped.
In turn, Norwegian Ambassador to Romania Siri Beate Barry voiced her appreciation for the citizens who supported the refugees from Ukraine. The official announced that, together with other partners, Norway will continue to support refugees in Ukraine as long as necessary.
Last but not least, Siri Beate Barry drew attention to the challenge of making children from a different society and culture who speak a different language feel welcome.
According to a press release Save the Children sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday, while more than one in three children (38%) who have been forced to flee their country say they feel less happy since leaving their home country, the share of those from Ukraine who reported sadness or increased tension was considerably higher.
A survey conducted by Save the Children revealed levels of unhappiness (57% either very unhappy or somewhat less happy) among Ukrainian children surveyed. Of the refugee children from countries other than Ukraine who responded to the survey, almost a quarter (23%) do not go to school. A smaller number of Ukrainian children do not go to school at all (5%), but they are much more likely to attend school online (18% online only, 11% - physically and online).
Of children who attend school physically or both physically and online, 87% expressed a preference for education with a physical attendance over online, and 72% of children who attend school physically or both physically and online confirmed that they feel less lonely when they go to school physically, and 60% confirmed that they can make friends from their host country in a physical school setting.
Three quarters of the children who responded to the questionnaire said that there are services they want or need but cannot access, regardless of their country of origin, age or gender. Of those services they need but do not have access to, the most common are places to practice hobbies, meet friends or spend leisure time, followed by health or medical services.
Common difficulties mentioned by refugee children include worrying about the future (45%), anxiety (32%) and difficulty to sleep (31%).
Save the Children held 18 thematic focus group discussions from September to November 2023, involving 95 children from seven countries, interviewed 52 teachers from eleven countries and collected responses to a detailed questionnaire from over 222 children and 279 children's representatives from ten countries. Participants in the thematic focus group discussions were from Afghanistan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Iraq, Morocco, Syria and Ukraine. Respondents to the questionnaire were from Algeria, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine.