(NewsNation) — Children are among the innocent lives caught in the middle of the Russian siege on Ukraine, forced to flee their homes and exposed to injury, hunger and sub-zero temperatures.
More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled and about half are children and teenagers, according to government estimates.
Greg Ramm with Save the Children discussed the urgent need for humanitarian assistance for displaced children during an appearance on “Morning in America”.
“The situation is absolutely horrific for Ukraine’s 7.5 million children,” Ramm said. “They are in grave danger of physical harm. They are facing emotional distress and they are at risk of displacement.”
Inside the country, over 6 million Ukrainians have been displaced, according to the United Nations.
Save the Children has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, providing humanitarian aid to children and their families.
Men of military age are not allowed to leave Ukraine, separating families in extremely uncertain times.
“The separation from families as they move is distressing for children,” Ramm said.
According to Ramm, Save the Children is working to establish child-friendly spaces “so that children can start to restore a bit of childhood, can have a safe place to play, to sort of try to become a child again, in the midst of this horrific conflict.”
Save the Children is right now on the ground in Ukraine working to deliver essential humanitarian aid like medicines, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, cash assistance — and most importantly food and water.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Russians of seizing a humanitarian convoy trying to get desperately needed food and other supplies to displaced Ukrainians.
“It is hard to get food in. It is hard to get supplies,” Ramm said. “We [Save the Children] are doing what we can to provide that basic humanitarian assistance, working through partners, and then assisting refugees as they come out.”
Save the Children’s humanitarian response extends beyond the Ukrainian border.
“The other thing we’re seeing, however, is this conflict is now starting to have widespread impact on humanitarian crises around the world,” Ramm said. “We know that food supplies are being disrupted. Already a world at risk of hunger is going to face even more severe hunger and famine due to rising food, food prices, and the disruption of grain markets.”
Watch the full interview with Greg Ramm in the video player at the top of the page.
