Ukrainian Orphans Forced to Starve in Shelters While Hiding from Russian Missiles

Orphaned kids and children with cancer stuck in underground shelters without food and adequate medical supplies due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine are crying for help.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring country Ukraine with about 200,000 troops on February 24, 2022, it threw the world into chaos.

Despite his promise that the Russian troops would not harm citizens, there have been reports of missiles hitting residential apartments, which have resulted in multiple civilian casualties.

The invasion kick-started a massive exodus of people from Ukraine who grabbed whatever they could and ran to safety in neighboring countries to the west who did everything possible to accommodate and welcome them.

As of the fifth day of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia, over 500,000 people have fled Ukraine to escape Russian attacks. The reality of many people trying to flee is that apart from the trip to the border being very long and tiring, there is also the issue of limited transportation options and freezing temperatures.

Sadly, in the midst of all this are multiple Ukrainian children with cancer who have been forced to seek safety in the basements of some Ukrainian hospitals.

The kids who have been unable to evacuate have had their treatments stopped due to constant bombings by Russians. The doctors with the kids have only been able to create a makeshift basic form of chemotherapy due to a lack of supplies caused by the invasion.

However, the doctors have cried out that due to the lack of required treatments, the children will only get sicker, and many will not survive unless they can evacuate to specialist centers where they can continue their treatment.

Dr. Lesia Lysytsia, one of the doctors with the kids at the basement of Okhmatdyt, Kyiv's largest children's hospital, explained that taking the kids to a medical center in Lviv where there are adequate medical supplies is also difficult for doctors. She said:

"Patients and their parents ask me if it's safe, and I say 'I don't know.' I don't even know if it's safe to go outside. It's possible they go out near the hospital, and they'll be attacked."

In a similar situation, some orphaned children in a specialized orphanage in the Ukrainian city of Kropyvnytskyi have also been unable to escape and are stuck in a shelter crying for help.

The kids are requesting food, medicines, clothes, and toys. The toddlers are in dire need of warm mattresses, blankets, and diapers.

As the war rages on, so many people who have been unable to escape are seeking safety in bunkers and underground tunnels, while some opt for darkened static subway cars.

The heartbreaking picture around multiple shelters countrywide is of scared parents who are unsure of what the future holds for them and their kids.

Yet, in a bittersweet moment, a woman gave birth to an adorable baby girl in a shelter in Kyiv. As the new mother cradles her baby girl, one can only hope that this war is ended as soon as possible without the death of more civilians.