Cold, frightened children need your help now

As a harsh winter approaches, millions of children in Ukraine are living in dark, cold, temporary accommodation amid a deadly war – and bracing for unimaginable hardship.

Almost three years of conflict has ravaged the country’s infrastructure, with frequent missile attacks on homes and energy networks leaving families terrified and without the warmth and safety they so desperately need.

Ukraine’s already bitterly cold winters – with temperatures often plummeting below -10°C, and in some areas -20°C – will be even more unbearable this year. With power shortages expected to last up to 18 hours a day, many children and families will endure the freezing cold without heat, hot water, or access to essential services.

The destruction of energy infrastructure has left communities without reliable heating systems, and vulnerable people, including the elderly, children, and the more than 3.6 million people forced from their homes by bombs, face grave risks of hypothermia and frostbite. The cold is not just an inconvenience – it’s a deadly threat. Exposure to these temperatures can worsen chronic illnesses, leading to strokes, heart attacks, and even death.

Constant fear

Ukraine’s children are especially at risk. Over 2,400 children have already been killed or injured in the war – an average of 16 children killed or injured every week – and many more face the psychological toll of constant fear and uncertainty. The lack of power, water, and education will rob these children of any sense of normalcy, pushing their mental and physical health to the brink.

As families endure this bitter winter, UNICEF is distributing warm clothes, blankets, and fuel, as well as repairing electricity infrastructure, but the need is overwhelming.

The people of Ukraine need more urgent support to survive the winter. Every day counts – without immediate action, many more lives will be lost in the freezing cold.

Terror in the darkness

Children in Ukraine are living lives of utter terror. They are hiding in dark basements from bombs and being constantly forced from their temporary homes, peering out of windows of armoured vehicles as they flee, watching explosions and gunfire as they escape to brief refuge.

“My tummy hurt, I didn’t want to eat or drink,” says traumatized four-year-old Mykhailo. He was evacuated from his village after rockets smashed its houses and schools. “I was tired, we were travelling for a long time, and there was shooting. I was also cold.”

Children like Mykhailo are facing a winter with temperatures below -10°C. They will huddle in cold buildings, in the dark, as missiles fly overhead. Death is a very real risk – sickness, fear and trauma almost certainties.

A terrible toll

For Vita, the endless stress of trying to keep her son Serhiy safe in these circumstances has taken a terrible toll.

“I am constantly on edge,” Vita said, comforting her nine month old baby boy. “Even my milk is disappearing. So I feed my child porridge, but it’s becoming difficult to buy it here.”

Her hometown is shelled every night, and there is no heating. She breaks down in tears as she says it’s “scary that the shelling is getting closer”, her shoulders twitching with each bang.

Children like Mykhailo and Serhiy are being assisted by UNICEF. Thousands of families like theirs are being given warm clothes, fuel for heating, and blankets. But thousands more need help. Your support now can save their lives.