Children in War

According to a study carried out by Save the Children Romania, one out of three Ukrainian children, refugees in this country, declared that they are less happy since they left their country of origin

Luiza Moldovan, 03.04.2024, 12:52

According to a study carried out by Save the Children Romania, one out of three Ukrainian children, refugees in this country (38%), declared that they are less happy since they left their country of origin. 57% of the children surveyed said they were either very unhappy or somewhat less happy. 23% of them do not go to school, although there is a possibility that they attend an online school. 87% said they preferred physical presence at school, and 60% said they could make friends in the host country in a physical school setting. Three-quarters of children said they did not have access to services they would like, such as places to practice hobbies, meet friends, or spend free time. This is where non-governmental organizations intervene, such as Save the Children Romania, which manage crisis situations very well. We asked Gabriela Alexandrescu, the executive president of the organization, what services these entities can offer, whose importance, especially in times of crisis, is crucial:

“Non-governmental organizations can play a crucial role in the protection of refugee children, especially in the context of a large flow of people, as is the case with people who have taken refuge from Ukraine. First, they can quickly mobilize resources and intervene immediately to provide humanitarian assistance. Organizations can also provide assistance and support in many ways, including by providing shelter, food, medical care, access to social services, and education. They can also provide psychological counseling services to help children cope with the trauma and difficulties they face. In addition to immediate assistance in response to a crisis situation, non-governmental organizations can provide integration programs and create safe, inclusive spaces for refugees in communities. Most of the time, refugees mainly need information, guidance, counseling to access their rights and available services, such as accessing the education system, medical services, jobs, in the case of parents, and also accessing emotional counseling services. At the same time, through the training offered to specialists, organizations can share their own experience, thus improving the quality of services offered and increasing their efficiency, for the benefit of children, for example. Non-governmental organizations can lobby and advocate. They can significantly contribute to improving the lives and protection of refugee children. For example, following the war in Ukraine, Save the Children Romania quickly initiated a comprehensive humanitarian intervention. We have already reached 340,000 people, including 170,000 children, we have worked in 10 border crossing points, in 5 asylum centers, in three mobile camps for refugees and in three transit zones. In these places, we set up safe spaces for children, covered immediate needs, emotional support, provided vital information for children and adults, and then, to support the integration process in the medium and long term, we set up eight counseling centers, where we offer counseling, information, case management, psycho-social support, activities for children and adolescents, material and financial support. So, organizations can do a lot”.

One of the most vulnerable categories of children are those without parents, whom the organization Save the Children has targeted:

“This is, indeed, one of the most vulnerable categories of children in difficulty. It is very difficult to be a refugee and not benefit from the presence and protection of your parents. However, Romania also has procedures to immediately protect these children. From our experience (we have been working in this field since 1994) the number of refugee children without both parents is small, but there is a considerable number of refugee children who come from single-parent families. This experience for them is deeply emotional and worrying, because these children are in an extremely vulnerable situation and are exposed to major risks. In this situation, of children without one or both parents, the priority for Save the Children was to provide children with support and protection, ensure their safety, and provide them with the necessary resources to cope with difficulties. It is essential that we act quickly, effectively, to identify the most appropriate solutions for each individual child and to work with local authorities to ensure that these children are properly cared for and protected. Special attention must be paid to them, and to ensuring their rights and the safety of these children”.

There are many voices in society who are outraged by the care, sometimes excessive, they say, for refugee children, at the expense of Romanian children. Here is what Gabriela Alexandrescu answers to them:

“We understand and respect the concerns expressed, especially in the current context of our society. It is important to emphasize that our mission is to come to the aid of all children who are vulnerable, regardless of their origin. Since our founding in 1990, we have been committed to providing assistance and support to all children, including refugees, in accordance with our humanitarian values and international standards. It is essential that we focus on solutions that ensure the well-being of all children, regardless of circumstances, and that we work together to create a safer, more inclusive environment for all members of our community. At the same time, we believe it is important to communicate constantly, to provide clear information so that society as a whole understands how the programs work and that, in general, a program or project with a specific target group or a certain disadvantaged category is not implemented at the expense of other disadvantaged categories. For example, we got involved in supporting the population and children of Ukraine, and what could be more vulnerable than the case of children fleeing wars, bombs and death? So we got involved in helping them and developed programs, but without interrupting what we were doing in Romania to reduce infant mortality, to ensure mother and child health services, for our children’s access to education in poor communities, for protection against violence, and for the protection of children without parental support. I think people need to realize that the most terrible thing for children is war, the most terrible thing is not to have their place, their home, their family. They need to understand that these people need our support further, because it is a vulnerable situation for them in their country”.