Available data from January to November this year show that there was one death or injury of a child due to a military conflict. This is stated in the message of UNICEF.
Landmines, explosive remnants of war and unexploded ordnance were the leading cause of these child casualties, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all recorded injuries and deaths during the period.
In most cases, the child casualties occurred when children picked up explosives such as hand grenades and fuses.
“I picked it up and I think I pressed something, and it just exploded. There was a lot of blood and the fingers were hanging. I was so scared that I started shaking. I almost collapsed”, - a 14-year-old boy Aleksey told.
According to the information of UNICEF, this endangers 220,000 children who live, play and go to and from school in areas littered with landmines, unexploded ordnance.
“It is unacceptable that places where children could safely play less than four years ago are now riddled with deadly explosives,” said UNICEF Ukraine Representative Giovanna Barberis.
According to her, all parties to the conflict must immediately end the use of these gruesome weapons that have contaminated communities and put children in constant danger of injury and death.