A cold that can kill
Here in Ireland, in the darkest days of winter, when the pavements are too icy to walk on and every breath turns to frost, all we want is to stay at home, wrapped in warmth and comfort.
But what if you had no home?
What if you shivered through the night in a flimsy tent, while the roar of missiles and the buzz of armed drones filled the air?
What if the cold could kill you?
This is the harsh reality for millions of children around the world this winter, some no older than a few days.
In conflict zones like Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon and Afghanistan, children face life-threatening cold without adequate protection.
But here in Ireland, we – UNICEF and all those who stand with us on an ongoing basis – refuse to look away. From their cold homes each winter, our monthly supporters send what they can to help children find safety and warmth.
Keep reading to hear their stories, and to learn how you can make a difference this winter.
Childhood homes destroyed
Every day 10-year-old Veronica visits the ruins of a flat in Borodianka, Ukraine, to feed three street cats. Like them, she lost her home in an airstrike. As they eat, she looks up at the shattered building. “There, on the ninth floor where you can see a brown door, was where my room used to be… the bomb ruined everything.”
Veronica and her parents survived by fleeing the day before. “When the war starts, we have to escape… My godparents had remained in Borodianka and died, as well as their three kids.”
Now she lives with her family and two dogs in one small room. “Like every child… I want to have my own room… and a cat to live with us again,” she said.
Thousands of children in Ukraine are living in similar cramped conditions, amid freezing winter temperatures and frequent air raids. UNICEF is providing cash assistance and warm clothing to these families – but what makes the biggest difference, is long-term, sustainable help.
A technician inspects newly delivered pipes for winter infrastructure repairs in Kramatorsk.
Large scale projects – lasting change
In Ukraine, 50% of power generation is offline, 60% of gas generation is destroyed, and there are 4-16 hours of blackouts per day in Kyiv. These are expected to worsen as strikes continue.
In parts of the country, temperatures can fall as low as -20°C – this can be deadly for children.
But thanks to people who support UNICEF on a regular, ongoing basis, we are helping fight these deadly threats by repairing and upgrading energy and heating infrastructure on the front lines.
This includes installing new pipes, repairing boiler facilities and distributing diesel generator stations to schools so they are prepared for power cuts that can terrify children.
This work is complicated. It requires long-term planning. And it possible thanks to the ongoing support from donors that is a vital lifeline for children across Ukraine.
Join our team of supporters
Sign up to give a monthly donation to UNICEF, and you can provide the long-term support needed to help freezing children survive winter.
Jalila, 4, and Suha, 3, received winter coats.
Bringing warmth to children
As winter approaches in Gaza, thousands of children living in tents, traumatized and injured by years of war, face the brutal cold without the basics to survive.
The bitter cold will compound hunger, weaken immune systems, and accelerate suffering.
But this does not have to be a death sentence. With ongoing support, UNICEF is delivering life-saving winter supplies and cash assistance that not only protect children from the cold, but also preserve their dignity, health, safety and future.
Jalila, 4, and Suha, 3, recently sought shelter at the Rafah Women’s Centre in Southern Gaza, and received large, pink winter coats, to protect their little bodies.
The children and their families were displaced from the north during the war, and hadn’t been able to acquire winter clothes or find them in the local market.
Thanks to our supporters, UNICEF were able to give them and hundreds of other children seeking shelter essential supplies.
Distributing aid in conflict zones like Gaza, is dangerous and difficult. Sudden emergencies, such as renewed attacks, mean UNICEF needs reserves of cash ready to go so we can jump into action and save lives.
Thankfully, we have hundreds of thousands of regular supporters. With them, we are able to help children survive war, overcome deadly winters, and build a brighter future for themselves, their families, and their countries.
Can you help children survive winter at war?
With support from you, UNICEF can reach children shivering in freezing tents and bombed out buildings across the world.