Kharkiv, November 2, 2023 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is deeply concerned about intensified fighting in Kupyansk and is actively responding to the urgent needs of children who have been evacuated from the area.
Following the intensification of hostilities since August, Ukrainian authorities announced another round of evacuations from Kupyansk on 31 October. The evacuations are now mandatory for 275 children still remaining in the frontline settlements. In collaboration with the regional authorities and humanitarian partners, the IRC is mobilising resources in Kharkiv to provide immediate assistance to children evacuated from Kupyansk.
Igor Bodnia, IRC’s Field Manager in Kharkiv, said:
“The situation in Kupyansk is dire, and the impact on children is particularly devastating. Many of them have seen violence and displacement more than once, and they are in urgent need of protection and support. The IRC is working in a reception hub and dormitories in Kharkiv, focusing on providing primary health care to evacuated families, as well as psychological first aid to children to help them cope with the trauma they have experienced.”
“Intensified hostilities in Kupyansk are part of the worrying trend of an increased number of attacks that we are witnessing in the lead-up to winter. Just as temperatures plummet, communities in Ukraine will suffer from even more widespread destruction of the infrastructure they need to cope with the cold season. The combination of freezing weather, ongoing shelling, destroyed critical facilities and homes will make life even tougher for the people in affected areas.”