UNICEF: Thousands of traumatized children in Ukraine need help

Thousands of children in Ukraine are in urgent need of psychological support given the traumatic experiences of war, UNICEF said on Friday.

According to estimates by the UN children's agency, 4,000 to 6,000 child psychology professionals are still in the country and everything must be done to secure their salaries and support them so they can continue their important work, UNICEF expert Aaron Greenberg told reporters.

He was speaking from Lviv in western Ukraine via video link to Geneva.

Around 91,000 children and young people who were already being cared for in shelters before the Russian invasion on February 24 need special attention, he added.

Many of these children are in orphanages and children's homes for young people with disabilities, while around 35,000 returned to their families after the attack began but still need support.

"Children are resilient and recover, but they need to be supported," Greenberg said.

According to Greenberg, 56 mobile teams are travelling around the country providing care to children and their families who have experienced trauma, including sexual violence.

Since the war began, UNICEF has helped organize psychosocial assistance for 145,000 children and adolescents, he said, with around 34,000 minors with special needs also being helped.