and now the, the meeting is continuing with a spokesperson for the director for unicef. the child agency saying that half of those refugees now are children. this very grim picture is happening as being painted in an open session. while behind the scenes security council members are working on a resolution to dress the humanitarian situation in the ukraine. and we heard from the french ambassador and the mexican ambassador on their way into the meeting, who are the drafters of this resolution, and what they are looking for. and crispin, forgive me for interrupting you, is just that we are now a hearing from the executive director of unicef. so let's listen hosing severe human costs, which are increasing exponentially by the day. as of today, the office of the high commissioner of human rights recorded 1207 civilian cache casualties in ukraine. since february 24 at least 27 children have been killed. and 42 children have been wounded. countless more have been severely traumatized as the fighting has now reached densely populated areas and across the country. we expect chi

unicef is a humanitarian actor abiding by humanitarian principles. over the past eight years, unicef has been committed to providing protection to all children in need across ukraine and neighboring countries. this brutality must come to an end. children in ukraine need help and protection. they need supplies and other critical support. they need access to basic social services like health and education. they need hope of the future. above all, children in ukraine need peace. it is the only sustainable solution. thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. >> i think -- thank you for your briefing. i give the floor to the presenter from the united states. >> thank you, madam president. thank you executive director russell at your first briefing to the council. we welcome you to this setting and thank you also to the undersecretary general fits. both of your briefings were sobering, but we appreciate the work that you do. i also want to say that we are so appreciative and proud and grateful to unicef and other humanitarian agency staff on the

it is both, unicef has been here four years. _ done? it is both, unicef has been here four years. has been here four years. we are - done? it is both, unicef has been here four years. we are sending l here four years. we are sending trucks and trucks of medical supplies, surgical supplies, obstetrics supplies, because mothers are having babies in bunkers, to 50 hospitals across the country. water tablets, generators, blankets, child protection teams. it is a huge response, but given the scale of the need, given the indiscriminate the that continue, it's very, very difficult to meet and guarantee the safety of children, whether they are being bombarded or they are in cities where the humanitarian corridors keep being disrespected for agencies like unicef and others. i want to ask about the situation where you are, we have heard there have been more explosions in lviv in the last few hours. did you hear them? , ., , the last few hours. did you hear them? , .,, them? yes, i did. it was saturday afternoon. i _ them? yes, i did. it was saturday afternoon, i have _ them? yes, i did. it

my colleague lucy hocking has been speaking to james elderfrom unicef, the un's children's fund. he saw there. the situation remains really harrowing for children across the country. lviv is a jumping—off point, as you will have seen, it's families there, hundreds of thousands of families, pour through there. they've had nights in bunkers, nights under attacks, we continue to see worsening indiscriminate attacks in populated areas, and they're farwelling one another. husbands and wives, children and fathers. and so that place, and it's frigid cold, with a great deal of stress and sorrow, is where hundreds of thousands of people are leaving their country and going into all those neighbouring countries. so in ukraine we continue to see indiscriminate attacks killing children, dozens of children, and medical facilities and schools, and then as you rightly say, we have, gosh, now around 1.3 million children, it's a staggering number, 1.3 million children injust over two weeks in those neighbouring countries. james, how many of those children crossing over are unaccompanied, what is t

that was james elder from unicef. european union has agreed to give emergency temporary protection to refugees fleeing the war in ukraine. it means that the more than a 1000000 people who have fled can now apply for temporary protected status. and residency permits throughout the you. millions more are expected to follow. the measure is meant to ease pressure on member states that border ukraine. here's the french interior minister talking about the move. it does so that he, before he became eligible persons will thus be able to benefit from a protective status. similar to that of a refugee you up in any country of the european union for renewable period of one year is this unanimous decision reflects the full commitment of the european union to the solidarity that we owe to the ukrainian people in the face of this unjustifiable war russia, of course, is a vast country in the war, and ukraine may seem far away for russians living in remote areas like siberia, but videos appearing on social media, showing young russian recruits captured by ukrainian forces are bringing the realities of

final hour of the program, on the ground on the ukraine/poland border, we're speaking to one of unicef's workers about a way to protect vulnerable families on the move. >>> we will be speaking to the new surgeon who is training doctors in ukraine's conflict zones. >>> good morning, all. u.s. officials have warned that russian forces have moved about three miles closer to the ukrainian capital kyiv over the last 24 hours. new satellite images suggest that troops have reorganized to the northwest of kyiv, and in an area with a 40-mile long convoy had been stalled for days. >> there are reports this morning, that at least one person had been killed in air strikes in the central city, and all of this, as both the white house and boris johnson warned that president putin could soon turn to chemical weapons. let's just take a quick look at the key developments, the ministry of defense says it is highly unlikely that russia has successfully achieved the objectives it outlined in its pre-invasion plan. the u.s. defense source says russia has moved moderate advances toward kyiv in the past day, m

in closing, i'd like to emphasize that unicef abides by humanitarian principles. over the past eight years, unicef has been working on both sides of the line of contact in eastern ukraine and we're committed to providing humanitarian assistance and protection to all children in need across ukraine and in neighboring countries. but this brutality must come to an end. excellencies, colleagues, children in ukraine need help and protection. they need supplies and other critical support. they need access to basic social services like health and education. they need hope for the future. but above all, children in ukraine need peace. it is the only sustainable solution. thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. >> i thank ms. russell for her briefing. i now give the floor to those councilmembers who wish to make statements. i give the floor to the representative of the united states. >> thank you, madam president. thank you, executive director russell, at your first briefing to the council. we welcome you to this setting. and thank you, also, be to undersecret

by the way there's a whole generation of us who know of unicef from trick or treating for unicef in thely years. that's the way i quasi-introduced to it in the early years. thank you for what you're doing. >> thank you for covering it. makes a big difference. iltszer important. >> and vladimir putin's red line as russian forces increase their use of banned weapons and target civilians as you've just seen, one congressman, an iraq combat veteran is asking how far are we going to let the kremlin go? >>> and art in a war zone. holding a theater group underground, perfourming a ukrainian play while hiding in a bomb shelter. a group of ukrainian soldiers protecting the odesa opera house, playing ♪ don't worry be happy ♪ in front of the barricades. ♪ and then there is this woman sitting at her piano playing shubert and show pan in the bombed out remains of her home. ♪ ♪ i have moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. so i'm taking zeposia, a once-daily pill. because i won't let uc stop me from being me. zeposia can help people with uc achieve and maintain remission. and it's the first and only

you know, not only unicef, but unhcr, w.h.o., and local ngos as well are doing critical work. so every penny, every penny that goes towards this is changing children's lives and hopefully allowing them to start to build a better future. >> joe english, thank you for being with us this evening. >>> coming up, the u.s. is investigating if russian troops are specifically targeting civilians and committing war crimes. that's next. >>> but first, my colleague richard lui with today's other top news stories. >>> rev, good afternoon to you. some of the stories we're watching for you this hour, breaking earlier today, a russian air strike at a military training base brings the war closer to nato's doorstep. this facility is located just about 20 miles from the polish border which serves as a hub for western arms shipments. ukrainian officials say at least 35 people were killed and at least 100 injured. nbc news not independently verifying those figures as of yet. >>> the red cross is now warning of what they describe as a worst-case scenario for hundreds of thousands of residents in m

james elder it's a spokesperson for unicef.t and has never been a member of the north atlantic treaty organization. we getting membership in nato is kind of like a long, multi level job interview. there are several steps and certain requirements a country has to meet in order to join the alliance. nato has got an open door policy, but getting through that door can take several years. in some cases, the treaties states that nato membership is open to, quote, any european state in a position to further the principles of this treaty into contribute to the security of the north atlantic area. now, there are just a handful of non european countries in nato, including the united states and canada. and turkey, half of which is in asia. turkey, by the, way has the largest military and nato behind the united states. according to the nato website, nations are expected to respect the values of the north atlantic treaty and meet those economic and political standards, which include upholding a functioning democratic political system based

unicef said 4.3 million kids have been displaced.pondent, dasha burns. >> andrea, the scale of this is staggering. according to unicef, more than 7,000 kids have actually been born into this war. look, everywhere you turn here you see refugees who are mothers with multiple young children. andrea, some of these kids also crossed the border without their parents. ukraine has a large population of orphans according to unicef. so many of them have now had to flee. we met a group of orphans here in poland and i spoke with the director of the orphanage who brought these kids safely across the border, and he's incredibly concerned because children are at a heightened risk of human trafficking and emotional trauma. listen to what he told me. >> translator: we will have a lot of work after the war to overcome psychological trauma of these children who lost their parents and who have been through very large emotional negative impact. >> yeah, a lot of work to come to help these children get over this trauma, and the ukrainian government has em

unicef blue logo and known to be safe places for children and families to could.c care and respite for those children who have been traumaized over and every, along with directions to other services, housing, transportation, things they need. we got to beef up that work because more people will be coming and the humanitarian corridors need to be open so the people who want to leave can. mentioned close to 1.5 million children left and that means there's still 6 million people in ukraine and the traumas they're facing have to be dealt with too. >> all those traumas layer. michael thank you for being with us. >>> up next, new threat of chemical weapons if russia uses them in ukrainian how should the world respond. >>> and -- a message to the u.s. and allies. >> if you could say something to president biden or speak directly to u.s. politicians what do you want them to know? >> finish mr. putin, he is the source of all this situation. second thing concerning refugee crisis, you know, european union is very rich, we don't need it right from the u.s. but if you could a

she just returned from ukraine >> first, a closer look at her new role and unicef's mission to betterren since taking the job last month, she's been on the road she traveled to the ukraine border supporting refugees and their families as they crossed into safety in romania and to afghanistan, meeting with taliban officials, pushing them to commit to reopening schools for all girls this month she also met with students at a unicef-sponsored school in kandahar and mothers at a hospital where their children are fighting starvation she's no stranger to tough jobs. she served as ambassador at large for global women's issues for the state department and now she's ready to take on the fight for kids at a time when there are more conflicts and natural disasters than at any time in unicef's 75-year history catherine russell will play a critical role in the future of all the world's children joining us now, catherine russell, the new director of unicef we are celebrating women today we want to celebrate you have a seat. >> thank you. >> gosh, if there ever were a time when people can recognize

that's according to some brand-new data from unicef.l talk to a unicef official about how they are trying to help those kid but, first, here's what one volunteer told our own gabe gutierrez in hungary. our own gabe gutierrezn hungary. >> alex is a hungarian volunteer hanning out supplies. he's just 15 years old. >> and i have a friend whose whole family is dead. no one deserves it. i'm trying my best. i'm just a 15-year-old kid. i can't do much. m just a 15-yead i can't do much. sy. your way! shop the biggest selection of outdoor furniture and furnish your habitat from your habitat. get a new grill and cook over an open flame. now that's outdoorsy! go wild on garden decor, find shelter from the elements and from predators or just be one with nature. this year spend less and go all outdoorsy at wayfair. ♪ wayfair you got just what i need ♪ ♪upbeat music♪ transitions™ light under control. ♪upbeat music♪ transitions™ signature gen 8™ available now, in 4 vibrant style colors. transitions™ did you know you can get discounts on your meds even

for talking with us this morning, that was james elder from unicef. and if you're just joining us, you are watching d w. special coverage of russia's war on ukraine. i'm terry mart.

a lot of children, according to unicef, un | children, according to unicef, un agencies in the past daysf the numbers of refugees are actually children. many very small. the authorities in the past days have seen some happier scenes behind me now, one of these light moments in this whole crisis. but staying with the children issue, the un refugee agency mentioned that so far of the refugees entering romania alone, about 500, they estimate so far, have been unaccompanied. 0bviously, far, have been unaccompanied. obviously, there is growing concern about the dangers to them of abuse or exploitation so at border crossings like this one, it has become a new or increased focus of the different agencies to identify children who are travelling on their own and make sure they are properly looked after, notjust about own and make sure they are properly looked after, not just about they are here, but obviously onto whatever they go to. briefly, nick, how are romanians responding to this crisis? it how are romanians responding to this crisis? . . . how are romanians responding to this crisis? , .,

>> i trust my united nations and unicef security officials.t these emergency medical supplies or water across these lines of conflict. those people i trust and i've been able to for many years in many places. i simply have to. those political decisions are just so far out of our reach as humanitarians. humanitarians need safe spaces to work as well, and i have faith in those security people. and once they say it's time to go in, then we have to go in. as you and your viewers have seen, we have children holed up in bunkers, in bunkers with rats, and children who aren't in bunkers, who don't have the safety of a bunker. so when our security says their assessment is we can go in, that's what we'll do. >> it's awful. i mean, they're in train stations, in basements that they're calling bomb shelters but really aren't fortified to protect them. james elder with unicef, thank you so much. >>> now if you are looking for ways to help the humanitarian efforts, go to cnn.com/impact. >>> so officials are warning putin is shifting his strategy and now laun

that was james elder from unicef. the european union has agreed to give emergency temporary protection to refugees fleeing the war in ukraine. it means that more than a 1000000 people who have fled can now apply for temporary route, protected status and residency permits throughout the e. you millions more expected to follow the measure is meant ease pressure on member states that border ukraine. here's the french interior minister talking about this, move it up so that he, before he became eligible persons will thus be able to benefit from a protective status similar to that of a refugee you up in any country of the european union for renewable period of one year is this unanimous decision reflects the full commitment of the european union to the solidarity that we owe to the ukrainian people in the face of this unjustifiable war. if you're just joining us, you are watching d w. special coverage of russia's war on ukraine. i'm terry martin. here's a recap of what we're covering this. our ukranian officials se russian

thank you so much for all that unicef does. news we're following. we're live here in warsaw. we have new information on the war going on in neighboring ukraine. also breaking. another story we're following. the house january 6th committee in washington is now said to be considering questioning the wife of the supreme court justice clarence thomas. we're getting information. stay with us. you're watching "the situation room." wewe're live from warsaw. for wh. isn't that right limu? limu? limu? sorry, one sec. doug blowsws several different whistles. doug blows several different whistles. [a vulture squawks.] there he is. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty♪ to be a thriver with metastatic breast cancer means asking for what we want. and need. and we need more time. so, we want sqali. women are living longer than ever before wh kisqali when taken wh an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant in postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's significantly more effecti

meanwhile, unicef has been sounding the alarm about the high-risk of human trafficking.ren waited five leaving ukraine and entering romania as of march 17th, but the actual figure is likely much higher, according to unicef. so, what kind of safeguards should countries have in place to protect these children? >> it's a very good question. he said at the start, 1. 8 million children have become refugees in this country and in just a month, unfortunately, it's all for anniversary of, if you will, when the war started. but 1. 8 million children, it's basically 50 children who have become refugees, every single minute from this country. since the war began. that incredible outlooks means. that the only safe places where the child to be the out of the country. so, the presence that borders has to be transformed to a protection presence. governments need to understand the risks, that unicef shares messages widely about what to look after. but it's a time of chaos, for, example with so many people offering lifts to absolute strangers. we need to stop that. if 99. 9% of volunteer

yes, serena unicef is now supporting it, she's dealing with people who have children with autism, whoe come from areas where they have been under great fire. anyone who knows autism knows that those children can't be in contain spaces like a bunker. so families have to accept, we can't go down there, we can't do this to the child, we have to stay in the apartment of a bomb. but the bombs do hit all around, the missiles boom all around, and the children scream is much because of the noises. as much as any child with, oh the baby is an icu, maybe doesn't incubators, i see them here in lviv, which has been relatively safe. and it clearly, now, we see those images that no one is safe anywhere, because we see maternity wards are bombs. so there are still many thousands of children who can't get out, we simply by their situation are unable to. and there's many, many thousands who are in bunkers. and these indiscriminate attacks, stephanie, this war, what we've seen overnight of six or seven hours, we have to fear the greatest for these children. >> james elder, you are angel among us. thank

what unicef is seeking to a bunker. ii. so good to hear your thoughts, james, and to hear what unicef is doing. it is business time. ben is here. us officials claim russia has asked china for military help and aid in a bid to evade the international sanctions that have crippled the russian economy. the chinese embassy in washington said it wasn't aware of any request from moscow. but washington has warned beijing they may face consequences if they assist russia. china and russia currently share strong economic ties. trade between the two countries reached a record $147 billion last year. only a few months ago, the two countries declared their partnership has "no limits". china is currently the single biggest market for russian energy exports, including oil, gas and coal. injanuary, the kremlin said it was aiming to boost trade with china to $250 billion by 2024. so what will china do next? paul massaro, who has been advising the united states government on its sanctions strategy, believes beijing maybe thinking twice ab

i've worked with unicef for ten years now. i've traveled the world.s. but i've also seen when you give children a safe space and give them toys and pens and paper, these simple things, and then you provide them with care and attention, they can begin to rebuild their lives. we've seen this in syria, in south sudan, somalia. they need peace, they need a cease fire. it can't come soon enough. >> it's important for the work you're doing at unicef to understand this is a fraction. it's the story of the moment, but it's a fraction of children around the world who are refugees. >> it is, you know. i think what we need from the world at the moment is international solidarity and cooperation. we need governments to step up and take their fair share of refuges and provide safety. this isn't just the ukrainian refugees. it should be everywhere. it should be syrian refugees. we had 11 years of war in syrup -- syria. i've seen just what a few weeks of conflict have done here. 11 years, it's just beyond belief. >> thank you for the work that you are doing, thank y

i know you have worked in unicef for about two decades or more now.ht now? >> the hardest part is seeing children in their faces and mothers and their faces. i worked 23 years in unicef and works in afghanistan and north korea, kosovo and across the world. we are 110 communities here, at the level 20,000 plus unicef staff members are fully supporting and engaging us on the ground and bringing much-needed humanitarian support, trying to establish humanitarian corridors, so that we could reach each and every child. 7.5 million children. and their families. there grandparents. they're in need of immediate health support and immediate psycho social support, immediate support in the hand that is extending and reaching to them saying that we are -- >> well thank you so much for sharing with us. mara shaheen, thank you for all of the work you're doing and our hearts go out to you, your team and all of the people impacted in those 7 1/2 million children who are trying to escape the violence. our breaking news coverage continues after a quick break. psoriatic

so it's critical that organizations like unicef and the refugee hosting countries, we're working with unhcr and authorities to set up blue dot centers which are effectively one-stop shops where not only is it a safe space for children and for parents to play, to color in, but also where we can have psychologists, counselors, legal experts, to provide all those services they're going to need not just now but also into the future. >> tell us about those kids who are -- that unicef is assisting. what are some of the things, what are some of their basic initial needs once they're able to flee the fighting? what do you find? >> yeah, certainly. i've been at the children's hospital here in lviv for the last couple of days, and the stories -- i mean, it's hard to see. there was a young boy, danilo, who's 9 years old who's got t cell leukemia. and he needs dedicated treatment he can't receive here in the middle of the war. so thankfully he was evacuated yesterday to poland. so there's very special needs. but then also we've been delivering toys into kharkiv for kids who've been inside shelter

unicef says 70,000 children are becoming refugees every day. some of these refugees could fall into the hands of human traffickers. reporter: sleeping on train station floors or driving through the night, leaving ukraine has been a cold and anxious journey. >> we decided to leave and not wait to see whether something i ing to happen or not. in general, we worry about the children. anchor: for those managing these shelter, it's clear the psychological or dear -- ordeal puts refugees in a precarious position. >> most of the women are just holding on until they reach the final destination, then they collapse and need psychological support. reporter: in this situation, there is a small percentage of people involved in human trafficking or other crimes. those who are tired and don't have the right support can become exhausted and vulnerable. indeed, the possibility of exploitation has been flagged by unicef is one of the major risks to refugees, especially children. >> those leaving my following man who has a piece of paper saying berlin, and even i

effectively so unicef usa is a very good place to start for anyone who can dig into their pocket.en we're seeing every day, the ones we're not seeing in bunkers, and we're just so very appreciative. >> my heart just aches for those babies as i see those images, not knowing what's actually going on in the world around them as they are born. james elder, thank you, and thank you for the work you're doing. we appreciate it. >>> coming up, everybody, americans at risk in russia. the state department's urgent new warning as an american basketball player is detained in moscow. n american basketball player is detained in moscow we hit the bike trails every weekend shinges doesn't care. i grow all my own vegetables shingles doesn't care. we've still got the best moves you've ever seen good for you, but shingles doesn't care. because 1 in 3 people will get shingles, you need protection. but, no matter how healthy you feel, your immune system declines as you age increasing your risk for getting shingles. so, what can protect you? shingrix protects. you can protect yourself from shingles wit

that's lifesaving equipment, and that's what unicef will keep doing.inning, sadly, but we will see tons and tons more of that go to those very brave doctors and moms who are giving birth in those places you spoke of. >> hey, james, everybody who is watching right now, what can they do to help unicef's efforts? >> look, the support is wonderful. i wish there was a magic way beyond just generosity of spirit, the open-heartedness we see. a surgical kit, a kit for children for recreation, they cost money. unicef usa, we have amazing colleagues there, anyone with a few extra dollars this sunday, unicefusa.org. >> bless you, james, for you are and the work unicef is doing, stay strong. >>> on day 11 of russia's invasion of ukraine, growing concern and frustration. what more can be done and what more should be done. what americans feel as they see the horror playing out. ross the. small businesses are fed up with big bills and 5g maps that are mostly gaps— they're switching to t-mobile for business and getting more 5g bars in more places. save over $1,000 whe

what we as unicef want to do in ukraine right now is just more of those.t into those cities where children are trapped. where there have been bombardment, where they haven't had clean water for two days. and that means humanitarian corridors are respected, so we can get in with that support, chris. and it means that those children who need to get out, those children can escape. like, again, the mums i spoke to. i spoke to a mother yesterday, chris, who had had twins. but every time she goes to a bunker like where i am now, she takes one of her daughters, but the other is in an incubator. so the other daughter has to stay upstairs. and mother and daughter are separated. this is reality. we want to equip bunkers so bunkers are set up as hospitals. we wish we didn't have to do that, but that's what we'll have to do right now as the bombs keep coming on civilian targets. >> my admiration and appreciation for all of you who make the conscious decision to go into contagious places to help people. it knows no bounds. thank you, james. i hope we get a chance to ta

tonight, unicef now says 4.3 ukrainian children displaced by war.inding solutions, this is abc 7 news. >> five point $2 billion to pay 100% of your back rent if you have been impacted directly a covid-19. >> that was governor newsom last july talking about the states rent relief program, but that program has a lot of problems. only a small percentage of applicants have actually seen the money. ama: california's rick -- rent relief housing key expires and many are still waiting for the money to come through. larry: what than half the applicants are still waiting for a simple response. that lack of response could become an issue next week. luz pena has the latest on the program and its problems. luz: for the past six months, she's been dreading the end of this program. after thursday, she could end up homeless with her kids. >> i try to always be happy around them, and when they are sleep and i get outside, i sometimes just cried by myself. i have nowhere to go, my kids could be removed from me. luz: she applied for the program set to expire march 31.

his james elder spoke for unicef. he also talks about children requiring medical attention on the stage as being the most at risk. the children i see in hospitals who are on drips or incubators, it's very dangerous to try and get them out. the chip mildred under siege and in bunk is the mother i spoke to explain. she she sleeps over her child lies across not, not for warmth because she's terrified. she thinks it will add another layer from the bombardments that keep coming. so there are millions of kids who can't flee right now. again, we might display e for humanitarian cordele for these people to get out safely. and the organizations are unicef and others to be able to get urged and supplies in. i mean, we've been taking medical supply surgical kits to these hospitals to where mothers are giving birth in poncas. this is what we're seeking to do and we have these reports of a maternity hospital being bombed. a, it's outrageous. these are not normal times. so as soon as we see a child, then it's about tracking and tra

i mean unicef, he's trucking supplies into romania. we have a bigger operation in the east. it's everything from emergency water or to systems get heat. people can access water from frozen rivers, lot of psychological support. to be honest trauma, i mean, as usual, correspondents have sort of so clearly shown the stress on children. they've been in bankers spoke to little girl who's supposed to, she said in a bargain. they were rats and her mom said yes, but there were no bones. mean people are making these decisions. they're leaving families. fathers are explaining to the 10 year old son why, why you know, going to see dad any more husbands and wives sip. righty. it's is, it's, it's so so, so much sorrow, so much stress. so trauma is a very real thing for children and we do not want another nation where children, no conflict, looks like another nation of keen to hear their rates are and god, this is my mom, but i must jump out of my bed and head to my vancho, so you just, if does a lot of that we have mobile child protection teams going around. but again, children being kil

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right now i want to bring in the unicef spokesman james elder. thank you so much for joining us. is pausing vaccines, as you know, along some humanitarian quarters due to this awful russian shelling that's going on targeting lynch is areas. is time running out for ukrainian children to escape? >> yes, absolutely. and it's already run out for those children who have been killed in those bombardments. you know, getting that humanitarian access in is fundamentally critical, but opening up those corridors so those people can leave -- the people you've seen, your viewers have seen mothers and children fundamentally have to leave. they do everything they can, as you know, moms, to keep their child safe. we have moms who spent nights lying on top of their children, ton just keep them warm but an extra layer of protection. in this madness, they have to be given safe passage out of there. of course, for all those who can't leave, the conflict has to stop, the missiles have to stop. >> they do, but it doesn't look like they're about to stop any time soon. i want to get your reaction, james

muchas gracias cecilia, entre ls desplazados, al menos medio millón de niños, el conflicto dice la unicefde la devastación de la invasión de rusia a ucrania, vemos la situación que pasan millones de niños víctimas inocentes de la guerra, protegidos como pueden del frío, huyen de la frontera . >> esta mujer cuenta el momento que tuvieron que vivir, y el lor de sus hijos por su padre que se quedó para luchar . >> es un trauma que padres deben explicar a sus hijos que papá se debe quedar a luchar en ucrania por su país, otros se quedan sin ver la luz del día, al menos 17 menores murieron por bombardeos, con 30 heridos, imágenes como estas dan la vuelta al mundo, el drama humanitario crece, la unicef dice que medio millón de niños salieron de ucrania como refugiados . >> la situación es igual de dramática, con recién nacidos con condiciones difíciles, gracias a los equipos médicos y voluntarios pueden salir elante también enfrentan el drama de no tener a donde ir, mientras tanto tratan de disfrutar de su niñez en paz . >> esto se puede comparar lo que queda de ucrania impactadi por bombardeos

. >>> and a new report from unicef finds 4.3 million children forced from their homes. unicef says it's one of the fastest large scale displacement of children since world war ii, and remember, we're just one month into this war. i spoke with james elder from unicef who says the trauma a child faces could last much longer than the war itself. >> in a war for traffickers, it's not a tragedy, it's an opportunity. that's terrifying. millions of kids without clear access to school. countries are trying, but poland has taken a million refugees. that's an incredible amount to add. and trauma and stress. those things aren't just terms. they mean that a child if the war doesn't stop will have mental health issues going forward, may well, you know, be able to earn less income. these things affect this young growing nation as does a brain drain of children fleeing or young men going to the frontline. >> james elder of unicef. smile still to come, reports of low morale among russian troops. cnn gets exclusive access to the readout of a meeting between u.s. military officials and a

and tonight, this new number from unicef. 4.3 million of them are children. that's more than half of all children in ukraine. >> reporter: we are told about an old ukrainian theater built just over the border here in poland. that theater now being used for refugees. inside the door, up on that stage, behind a crib, the young mother holding her baby boy. another picking up her child. a kiss to the cheek. it's been a long, difficult journey. it's an extraordinary thing to see, this theater has now become a shelter. they tell me there were performances here right up until one month ago when the war in ukraine began. now the theater is filled with families. mothers and their children who live here. and up on stage, the moms with the youngest of the children, the babies. they have been here now for many days. you have a beautiful baby. oksana holds 7-month-old alexander. what has been the most difficult part about all of this? she tells us, the journey, from her hometown chernihiv, she talks about the trains from kyiv to lviv and poland. she thanks those along the

that's not what unicef once, it's not what the world wants, it's not what ukraine wants. another nation of children who come to learn conflicts, who are out of school, but no wooden air raid siren. is i mostly my bed, i must run downstairs to a bunker, that's not childhood. >> when did you arrive in ukraine? >> almost a week ago. i walked across the border into palmer mania into ukraine, and they got transported up here in tel aviv, which is real central point, about 50 miles now from poland. >> you walked across the border, and over the span of that weak, it has gotten extraordinarily worse. what has this been like for you. did you think it would be this bad? >> no. i honestly didn't. as i said, we've never seen this in history, the scale in speed, half 1 million kids -- no, i didn't. it's traumatic, very hard to hear so many people have the hearts broken, watching their lives turned upside down, losing that power of control. our job is to be here, our job is just to -- i get inspiration by what i see ukrainians do, grandmothers cooking, young people doing 90. they can b

unicef brought in tons.e're supporting this hospital here and hospitals now across the country, which are working in bunkers and basements. but i've got to be honest. it's triage right now, you know? the surest way to protect kids is to stop the bombing, for a cessation of hostilities. now, unicef and other acgencies are going to keep pouring supplies in but it's also difficult while cease-fires keep being broken by russian forces to protect children and humanitarian workers. >> we did a story the other day on a foster facility here where kids have been brought in from other parts of the country. we're talking hundreds of kids in that situation. the person running the place said to us that here in lviv, we get air ride sirens but nothing's hit the place so far. but with these kids, when they hear the siren, they freak out. they are traumatized. he said they are scarred by what they've seen. what sort of stories are you hearing that stood out to you? >> every moment, every day. i guess two yesterday. one, a c

thanks for all you and unicef are doing for the kids.hildren and their families in ukraine right now? >> hi, wolf. look, we've never faced a refugee crisis of this speed and scale as you saw there, children have been killed. today, dozens of children are now killed. many more i imagine. civilian facilities are coming under attack leaving millions without water. critical infrastructure. and as you saw there, we have almost a million children who are refugees. a million kids refugees. in under two weeks. this is unprecedented globally. it's harrowing, happening as we speak and it will continue unless we see a cessation and this bombing to stop. otherwise we will keep seeing lives as we just saw there, shattered. >> as you know, the european union today said they could see more than five million, five million ukrainian refugees in the coming days and weeks. many of them of course, children. is the world, james, prepared to deal with such a massive humanitarian crisis? >> look, wolf, on the back of the sheer weight of numbers that we've neve

that's the warning from the united nations children's fund. unicef, more than one of the half 1000000 children have fled ukraine since the russian invasion. unicef is urging governments of neighboring countries to strengthen child protection. jo, english from unicef, says the children also need help to cope with the trauma of war. i spend the last couple of days in a hospital in here in the phase. and you know, the, the stories of the kids, i've met one young boy, 15 years old. andre, 2 weeks ago he was in a car with his mom and his cousin. when they hit the la mine and he saw his mother passed away before his eyes in planes. and you cannot begin to imagine the pain that children are going through. and as you say, you know, this is not chosen obviously. and this is not something which they're going to be able to deal with by themselves and say they need dedicated can support training psychologists and psycho social workers to provide this cat. you know, because 1.6 plus 1000000 refugees, 3300000 displaced. these are almost 5000000 children force in the home. that's 5000000 children wh

unicef is very clear on that. in all crises like this.ere is a lot of stress, i've seen those reports, have also seen -- as i'm speaking to moms and children. i saw soldiers, ukrainian soldiers, walk up to some young west african men, students who are sitting, they're cold, and gave them polystyrene trays full of needles, to the surprise of the young guys. it's complicated. of course, when i see the reports, there's no place for discrimination anywhere. >> no place at all. talk to me about the trauma that you have seen from situations like this in the past. refugees fleeing their countries, under turmoil, in war, children. the long-lasting effects we see from a crisis like this. >> absolutely. it still gives me chill, to be honest. it's been so dramatic for people here. the train station echoes with tears, and i know from that password based speak of, if this conflict doesn't end very soon, we will have another nation of kids who know what conflict is. that trauma is difficult. whether it's unicef, as we continue to operate right now, in

organizations like unicef, our humanitarian funding from governments and individuals is critical. it allows us to be here as soon as a crisis may start, but to prepare to be here in advance. we've been in ukraine for 25 years. we'll be here throughout this crisis and we'll be here long after, you know, the guns have fallen silent so we can help children and families rebuild their lives. but also refugee resettlement. each and every country needs to step up and do their fair share and provide safe and legal routes for families who are fleeing these horrors. >> what about your staff in parts of the country where the conflict is raging? >> yeah, certainly, i mean, the stories that we're hearing, we've all seen the images, as well, out of mariupol, out of kharkiv and i mean, i've heard it described as apocalyptic, i've heard it described as hell on ertd. and there's almost not words strong enough, really, to describe what people are going through. we heard reports, we haven't been able to verify them, but of a little girl dying of dehydration in mariupol, and this is the 21st century.

it has been talked about by unicef. joe, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. he says the number of refugees. i know that half of them are staggering. >> thanks, isa. >> eight million. so in the space of just a few days, the kids are getting sick and along the way. they reach the border and they are here but now what? incredible volunteer, warm clothes, food, meals. they are making sure they get to uzbekistan. >> these children as we've just seen from that report are leaving behind the only world they knew. safety, comfort. talk to us about the impact this has on children, the trauma of war here. >> completely. they've had their lives turned upside down. for those who have been directly exposed to the violence, you can't begin to imagine what this can do to a young child's life. they are making a journey, unsure where they are going and how long they can be away. one of the senses, a little girl is saying they are sad. eyes facing down. they can begin to unpack this cover. as millions of stories are told. >> they have set up blue dots, i believe, safe spaces fo

and for you at home, who would like to support unicef, and do what you can from here, please, go to unicef-usa.org. always remember, if you need help, ask for it but if you can give help, please give it. and right now, thir there are millions of people on the other side of the world that need ours. thank you so much for staying up late with me. i will see you at the end of the day tomorrow. t the end of the day tomorrow >>> fear of a nuclear meltdown, after russia attacks a ukrainian power plant, the largest in europe. president zelenskyy sounded the alarm saying western leaders needed to quote wake up and act immediately. this as russia continues to target major cities populated with civilians. three questions this morning. how soon the humanitarian aid reaches those in need? will anything come from the nato meetings now under way? and will vladimir putin take the ukrainian president up on his offer to meet face to face? >>> good morning. and welcome to "way too early," on this friday, march 4

how can organizations like unicef help? >> what then? it is the question that keeps us awake at night. what then in terms of the risk of trafficking? >> yeah, i have heard that a lot. yeah. the risk of human trafficking and gender-based violence. >> exactly, hala. and the secretary general of the u.n. said it darkly, candidly, which was in a war for traffickers, it's not a tragedy, it's an opportunity. that's terrifying. millions of kids without clear access to school. countries are trying but poland's taken a million refugees. that is an incredible amount to add. and trauma and stress. those things aren't just terms. they mean that a child, if the war doesn't stop, will have mental-health issues going forward. may well, you know, be able to -- these things affect this young, growing nation as does a brain drain of children fleeing or young men going to the frontline. >> yeah, absolutely. james elder of unicef, thanks so much and thanks to all your teams on the ground doing the great work that they do. and we were talking with james abou