Dariia Zarivna, Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office and Chief Operating Officer of Bring Kids Back UA, met with Anna Knutzen, Senior Child Protection in Humanitarian Action of the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office.
“Support from UNICEF to programs for the reintegration and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children who were illegally deported, forcibly displaced, or held in the temporarily occupied territories is critical. Ukraine is developing a comprehensive reintegration system that fully meets international standards and the child's best interests. However, to fully implement it, we need the support of international partners,” Dariia Zarivna emphasized.
She added that consultations are underway with members of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children to support projects and programs that will help ensure a decent life for children in Ukraine and overcome the consequences, including psychological ones, of being under the control of the aggressor state.
Dariia Zarivna and Anna Knutzen discussed recent results in the return of young Ukrainian citizens, the establishment of a register of deported and forcibly displaced children, and the work of the Bring Kids Back UA Task Force.
“I know that every child returned to Ukraine has been found a family and not placed in an institutional facility. This is truly impressive,” the UNICEF representative emphasized.