14-year-old Dimitry (his name has been changed to respect his privacy) has found his mother after six months in various children's camps in Russia. He finds it difficult to speak about his story, about the deprivation and abuse he suffered like so many others. He lived with fear as his companion.
Kleine herzen was on site on April 8th to welcome 31 children upon their arrival in Kiev.
At least 20.000 children were separated from their parents and forcibly expelled from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories by the Russian army. Some of them were reportedly forcibly placed with Russian families. In mid-March, an international arrest warrant was issued against Vladimir Putin for these “illegal deportations”.
The journey of families to pick up their children with the support of Save Ukraine is long and dangerous. But any mother whose child has been kidnapped by the Russian armed forces is willing to risk her life to find her child/children.
The repatriation process is expensive, around EUR 2.000 per child, and includes the cost of the long and risky journey, hotel and subsistence costs, and administration costs. kleine herzen has pledged to support Save Ukraine in its mission.
Urgent action is needed to reunite the Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia and Russian-occupied territories with their families. Please help us to help!
All donations will be transferred in full to Save Ukraine.
Russia's aggression has resulted in human rights violations for countless Ukrainian children. Hundreds of children have been killed or injured and millions have been denied the opportunity to enjoy their basic rights, including health care and education.
The war has also resulted in the internal and external displacement of millions of people, putting many children at increased risk of being separated from their parents or carers. Thousands of Ukrainian children, including entire orphanages and foster homes, have been evacuated to other locations in Ukraine, as well as to other Council of Europe member states and beyond.
