NEW YORK (July 26, 2022) – Using a total of 27 cargo trucks, UNICEF has delivered life-saving supplies to Odesa to help an estimated 50,000 children in the war-ravaged districts of southern Ukraine.

The supplies to be pre-positioned in Odesa city include water purification equipment, sanitation and hygiene supplies to prevent sickness due to lack of clean water and sanitation – particularly dangerous to vulnerable populations. Around 110,000 people will be assisted by filters and chemicals to deliver clean water and hygiene kits will help to keep 14,000 children healthy.

“UNICEF is delivering life-saving supplies to important areas including Odesa and surrounds, so we can quickly respond to the most vulnerable families who are affected by the ongoing fighting and shelling in eastern Ukraine,” said UNICEF Ukraine Representative Murat Sahin. “Provision of safe water supplies and hygiene kits will help an estimated 50,000 children stay healthy in these challenging circumstances.”

As well as Odesa city, these supplies will be delivered to regions close to the fighting, including Mykolaiv, which has come under heavy shelling in recent weeks.

Additionally, the supplies will contribute to improving the living conditions of internally displaced families and children, many of whom have fled to Odesa from war-affected districts.

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About UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to pursue a more equitable world for every child. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.

UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. Together, we are working toward a world that upholds the rights of all children and helps every child thrive. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

For more information please contact:

Mackenzie Dougherty, UNICEF USA, 212.922.2551, [email protected]