15:27 04.05.2016

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom visits schools damaged by war in Donbas

2 min read
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom visits schools damaged by war in Donbas

Famous Hollywood actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom traveled to eastern Ukraine and visited schools and kindergartens damaged by shelling.

"Bloom visited classrooms hit by shells just three kilometers from the frontline. Approximately 580,000 children are in urgent need of assistance and more than 230,000 children have been forced from their homes. Around one in five schools and kindergartens in the region have been damaged or destroyed and some 300,000 children need to continue their education," UNICEF Ukraine said.

"After surviving some of the most terrifying experiences life could possibly throw at them, all they want is to get back to the safety and routine of school and plan for their futures," the actor said. During his time in eastern Ukraine, Bloom also met with schoolchildren who are receiving counseling from UNICEF-supported psychologists, who are helping them recover from their distressing experiences.

"Education is helping children in eastern Ukraine to rebuild their lives in a safe and supportive environment," Bloom said.

UNICEF so far has supported the repair and rehabilitation of 57 schools and has supplied hundreds of thousands of children with vital supplies, including schoolbooks, desks and stationary. The program offers psychological support and helps the children catch-up on classes in areas not controlled by Kyiv. UNICEF has also reached nearly 280,000 children with information about the risks posed by land mines and unexploded ordnance, which litter communities near the frontline.

UNICEF Ukraine plans to repair 60 schools and 80 kindergartens in 2016 and also provide psychological and social support and information to a minimum 400,000 children.

"Since the beginning of the crisis in Donbas, more than 55,000 unexploded landmines, shells and other ordnance have been found and removed - and we know this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our aim is to ensure that all children can safely get to class, study and play," UNICEF Representative in Ukraine Giovanna Barberis said.

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