Demián Bichir Instagram – @nytimes The trauma of war hangs over a generation of Ukrainian children. Young lives have been cut short. Families have been separated, and futures have been clouded by pain and loss.
In Ukraine, time is dwindling to prevent another “lost generation” — the oft-used expression not only for young lives taken, but also for the children who sacrifice their education, passions and friendships to shifting front lines, suffering psychological scars too deep to be healed.
“Every one of Ukraine’s 5.7 million children have trauma,’’ said Murat Sahin, who represents the United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF, in Ukraine. “I wouldn’t say that 10% or 50% of them are OK — everyone is experiencing it, and it takes years to heal.”
But the children have shown their resilience in the way they’ve adapted in their daily lives — whether it’s scribbling drawings in crayon and paint on the wall of a dank basement where they are held captive, or inventing a game based on the frequent checkpoint stops they are subjected to. They mimic the grim reality they witness in the war, but also find ways to escape it.
The New York Times has published a special report on the short- and long-term impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on children. Our report includes contributions from the reporters and photographers who have been covering the conflict.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full report. Photos by @dguttenfelder, @diego.ibarra.sanchez, @lynseyaddario, @emileducke, @laetitiavancon and @limauricio | Posted on 07/Aug/2022 13:04:41
