Op-ed by Irwin Redlener in The Kyiv Independent
Later this week, the Ukraine Recovery Conference, convening in Gdansk, Poland, is expected to host more than 5,000 attendees, including European heads of state, Ukrainian government leaders, ministerial representatives, non-governmental organizations, industry leaders, and subject matter experts.
They will collectively commit to supporting the rebuilding and recovery of Ukraine after a brutal war initiated by Russia’s indefensible invasion in February 2022.
While the complexities of reconstruction and economic recovery will be daunting, perhaps costing well over half a trillion dollars, it is important not to lose sight of critical challenges facing Ukraine's children who have been through years of disruptive violence.
Through our work as cofounders of the Ukraine Children's Action Project, Karen Redlener and I have met many Ukrainian children and youth, including those in the war-driven diaspora who have been living outside of Ukraine since the onset of the conflict. While these children are extraordinarily resilient – and genuinely inspiring – they are growing up under unimaginably abnormal and challenging conditions.
