UNICEF: Ukrainians Face Challenges in Slovakia, Especially Housing-related

Bratislava, March 2 (TASR) - UNICEF Slovakia has pointed to the fact that Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia continue to face huge challenges mainly in terms of housing, nutrition and employment, spokesman for the UNICEF Office in Slovakia Michal Biznar has informed TASR. "Since February 24, 2022 [when Russia invaded Ukraine - ed. note], more than 3 million Ukrainians have crossed the Slovak border, forced to leave their homes due to the war. As of January 2025, over 130,000 of them have been granted temporary refuge status in Slovakia, with women and children making up more than 80 percent of them," specified Biznar. In as many as 28 percent of households, at least one member is experiencing mental health-related challenges. "The data also show that as many as 17 percent of the children are not part of the Slovak education system," said Biznar, citing the language barrier and the distance to the nearest school with enough capacity to accept Ukrainian children as the main reasons for this. Meanwhile, the data also point to a positive trend in relations between the refugees and the majority population. "As many as 74 percent of the refugees said that they viewed the relationship positively and 24 percent neutrally," stated Biznar. However, at least one family member in approximately one in three households has experienced some form of hostile behaviour, most often verbal aggression or negative comments on social networks. ko/df