I wanted to share my most recent op-ed in The Daily Beast about Putin’s indiscriminate targeting of Ukrainian civilians – and particularly women and children. At this point, more than 3 million Ukrainians have fled their nation, with more than half of them children. As Russia’s assault on Ukraine continues, children will face tremendous uncertainty for their future as families become separated, civilian infrastructure is destroyed, and their education is severely disrupted.

Given Putin’s apparent disregard for civilians, it is now the world’s responsibility to protect the children caught in the brutal crossfire of geopolitics – and to ensure that there are safe and accessible humanitarian corridors established within Ukraine. Read the full article here.

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According to UNICEF, more than 3,000 children are leaving Ukraine every hour. Despite the continuous bombardments and ground fire from Russian troops, the fact that the Ukraine government, local NGOs, NATO nations, and a slew of international organizations have been able to bring so many children and families to relative safety is remarkable. But estimates suggest that an additional 3 million children under the age of 15 remain in harm’s way as Russian forces indiscriminately lay siege to the country.

So what becomes of children evacuated under such dire conditions, particularly as escape corridors continue to be considered fair targets by Russian forces? Under the best of circumstances, large-scale evacuations are extraordinarily challenging, logistical nightmares replete with unanticipated pitfalls. In Ukraine, the problems are particularly complicated.

Traffic jams and constant fighting are slowing the ability of Ukrainians to reach the borders by car or bus, while trains are desperately overcrowded as evacuees bring what few belongings they can. With men between the ages of 18-60 conscripted to serve in militia units, family disruptions add to the emotional trauma for children already anxious and fearful about what’s coming next.

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