The war in Ukraine through the eyes of children
Since February 24, 2022, when Russia launched their full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the most dramatic scenes has been taking place in the lives of civilians.
According to data collected by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as of May 7, 2023, there have been 23,606 civilian casualties (8,791 killed and 14,815 wounded). However, it should be noticed, that according to OHCHR, the actual numbers of victims are much higher – receiving information from the places where the most intense hostilities are taking place is delayed and many reports are still pending confirmation.
Of the more than 23,000 victims, 1,335 of them are children, of whom as many as 519 have lost their lives.
Above all, behind these horrifying numbers are the faces and gazes of the Smallest: wounded, frightened, uncertain and not understanding the barbarity of war. In the discussion about the smallelst victims of war, it is also important to remember, the plague of kidnappings and forcible deportations of children by the Russian Federation. According to the Children of War portal and the National Information Office of Ukraine, the number of those has reached almost 20,000, of which only 364 have managed to return to their home families or to the land of Ukraine.
From May 30 to June 5, 2023, the Mieroszewski Centre together with the Center for Political Narratives of Democracy, organised an exhibition entitled „The war in Ukraine through the eyes of children”. Open to everyone display, was located at Station Europe in the European Parliament in Brussels.
The exhibition is looking at the war precisely through the perspective of the youngest victims of the events happening for several months in Ukraine.