100 days of war in Ukraine leaves 5.2m children in need of humanitarian assistance, says UNICEF

Football legend Pele tells Putin: ‘stop the invasion’

One hundred days of the war in Ukraine have wrought devastating consequences for children at a scale and speed not seen since World War II, UNICEF said yesterday.

Three million children inside Ukraine and over 2.2 million children in refugee-hosting countries are now in need of humanitarian assistance. Almost two out of every three children have been displaced by fighting.

It further said on average, more than two children are killed and more than four injured each day in Ukraine – mostly in attacks using explosive weapons in populated areas.

UNICEF, therefore, called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and to protect all children from harm. This includes ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian infrastructure.
MEANWHILE, Brazilian football legend, Pele, has called for Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to end his army’s invasion of Ukraine, as the war-torn country’s national team was set to vie for a World Cup spot.

“On Wednesday, Ukraine tried to forget, at least for 90 minutes, the tragedy that still engulfs their country,” Pele wrote in an open letter to Putin, posted on Instagram just after the Ukrainian football team faced Scotland in a World Cup playoff semi-final.

“I want to use the match as an opportunity to make a request: stop the invasion. There is absolutely no justification for this continued violence,” added the three-time World Cup champion.

“This conflict is wicked, unjustifiable and brings nothing but pain, fear, terror and anguish… Wars only exist to separate nations, and there’s no ideology that justifies projectile missiles burying the dreams of children, ruining families and killing the innocent.”