Ukrainian children risk facing the harshest winter since 2022, World Vision warns

Kyiv, 16 December – Ukrainian children risk facing the harshest winter since the war began in February 2014, as intensified attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure plunge millions of families into prolonged blackouts, leaving homes, schools and hospitals without heating, electricity or water, World Vision warns.

With temperatures expected to fall below -10°C, repeated strikes on Ukraine’s energy system have triggered emergency power outages lasting up to 36 hours in some areas. Children are now facing an average of 16-17 hours of power cuts every day, depriving them of heat, electricity, water and essential services at the coldest time of the year.

“Children in Ukraine are facing extreme hardship this winter,” said Arman Grigoryan, World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response Director. 

“In some areas, families go up to 36 hours without heating, electricity or water. This prolonged lack of basic services puts children’s health at serious risk, disrupts their education, and threatens their overall well-being. Humanitarian support, including winter supplies, safe spaces, and psychosocial assistance, is urgently needed to protect them.”

Nearly 40 per cent of school-age children now study fully online or through blended learning, but prolonged power cuts mean many are unable to attend lessons, charge devices, or complete homework. Schools and kindergartens also struggle to operate safely without heating, electricity or water.

“I get frustrated when the lights go out because nothing can be done – no heating, no food, no studying – and our apartment gets very cold,” said Andriy, 9, a school student from Kyiv.

Damage to Ukraine’s energy system has left many families without adequate heating. Nearly half of households rely on centralised heating, and one in five families reports health problems linked to cold indoor temperatures, posing serious risks for children, particularly those with chronic illnesses. Long hours spent in cold, dark homes are also increasing stress, anxiety and isolation among children.

“Power outages happen daily. As we live in a small apartment, everything depends on electricity,” said Hanna, 38, a mother of three, internally displaced from Donetsk region, now in Kyiv. “When there are power outages, there is no heating, and it becomes very cold. I cannot cook for my children, and I can see that they have become more stressed and catch colds more often.”

The winter crisis comes amid a sharp rise in violence against civilians. From January to November 2025, 2,311 civilians were killed and 11,084 injured, resulting in a 26 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024, and 70 per cent higher than in 2023. 

The harshest conditions are being felt in northern and eastern regions, including Chernihivska, Dnipropetrovska, Donetska, Kharkivska and Sumska, where extreme cold combines with damaged infrastructure, displacement, and ongoing airstrikes, leaving families with children particularly exposed.

World Vision (WV) is scaling up its winter response, providing cash assistance to help families cover the cost of utilities. In frontline areas, WV and its local partners are distributing winterisation kits containing mattresses, sleeping bags, high-thermal blankets, rescue foil blankets, power banks, thermos flasks, portable stoves with dry fuel, and battery-powered flashlights. 

World Vision has also supplied generators to child-friendly spaces run by its partners, ensuring that activities and support services can continue even during prolonged blackouts. 

To date, over 230,000 people have received WV’s cash assistance in Ukraine, more than 459,000 have benefited from food assistance, and over 335,000 people have received non-food items.

Notes to Editor: 

About World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response: Since the onset of the war, World Vision and its local partners have reached over 2,28 million people, including more than 1 million children, providing food, non-food items, cash assistance, protection, education, livelihoods, and mental health support. Operating in 22 of Ukraine’s 24 regions, World Vision continues to deliver both immediate relief and long-term recovery programmes to address ongoing needs.

For further information, please contact: 

Laurentia Jora | Advocacy & Communications Manager | Email: laurentia_jora@wvi.org