(MENAFN- QNA) More than 1.7 million children affected by the growing crisis in eastern Ukraine remains extremely serious. Since March 2014, over 1 million people have been displaced from the conflict-affected areas, including nearly 530,000 people within Ukraine, of whom at least 130,000 are children.
The situation in Ukraine has left 147 schools closed in parts of Donetsk Oblast where fighting is ongoing, and disrupted the education of some 50,000 children since September 1.
Some of the schools are in ruins and others remain closed because of safety concerns. In government-controlled areas 187 educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed.
"It is essential that children are able to return to school and resume their education. Children continue to bear the brunt of this conflict, with schooling disrupted and access to basic services limited. Some are witness to violent fighting and shelling. We remind all parties to the conflict in Ukraine to ensure all children are protected from the ongoing violence", said Marie-Pierre Poirier, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director for Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
In an emergency, school is critical for maintaining stability, structure and routine. In Ukraine, education helps alleviate trauma and stress for children living in conflict zones.
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