The Lviv Regional Military Administration and the LOVA Children’s Service have signed a Memorandum with the American organizations New Horizons for Children and the Aerial Recovery Group to protect children living in Ukrainian territories where active hostilities are taking place.
Today, these organizations are already assisting in the evacuation and transportation of orphans and children deprived of parental care from dangerous areas to western Ukraine, to places where they are met by social workers and providing boarding schools, orphanages and humanitarian aid.
These organizations have already had experience in helping children in a number of other countries, including Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria.
“Unfortunately, the flow of people who are forced to leave their homes is only growing. Many of them are children. Orphans and children deprived of parental care are extremely vulnerable. That is why your experience and your help are very important to us, “said Vitaliy Zahainyi, Deputy Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration.
“The memorandum is another step to provide social protection to our children who come to us from the war zone. We are doing what good allies have to do in times of war. Together to victory “, – said the head of the Service for Children of Lviv OVA Volodymyr Lys.
The next step will be to create a safe space for gathering children and providing them with shelter, including food and medical care here in Ukraine, near the border.
According to the parties, such shelters will provide immediate assistance to children and caregivers who arrive every day, and will continue to meet the needs of vulnerable children and young people who move further across the border. Each facility will provide bed linen, food, medicine and other childcare facilities.
The format of such shelters makes it possible to move children and caregivers to a safe place, but limits injuries from the rapid movement of children to a new country and care system and leaves them with familiar caregivers.
“Here in Ukraine, there is a unique sense of unity between the nation and the people in the common struggle and it is a great honor to be part of this process, especially in helping children,” said Jeremy Locke, head of operations at Aerial Recovery Group.
“We will do our best to make the children happy despite the events,” said Sherry McClurg, CEO of New Horizons for Children.