What Your Support Made Possible in 2026
School supplies for children in Kherson. A rehabilitation camp with a week to talk, make friends and think about the future. Here is what your support helped us do.
For Kherson’s children, the war has never moved away.
Kherson was once home to around 300,000 people. Our contacts working on the ground estimate that only about 5,000 people now live in the city permanently. Those who remain face shelling, drones and the loss of services families once relied on.
The danger has grown. The UN reported more civilian deaths and injuries across Ukraine in the first eight months of 2026 than in all of 2025. Kherson was among the cities hardest hit in August. Attacks on retailers and logistics companies have added to the difficulty of keeping families supplied.
Across the river, Russian-occupied Oleshky is facing a humanitarian catastrophe. Residents are trapped with severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine. Mined roads and constant danger make both deliveries and escape perilous. Families are struggling to find the basics they need to survive.
For children, the damage reaches far beyond the buildings. UNICEF describes life in Kherson shaped by constant fear, time in basements and isolation from friends. Power cuts and disrupted lessons make it harder to stay connected. Another year of childhood is passing while families wait for safety.
Reporting behind this update · September 2026
- The estimate of permanent residents and the account of local supply shortages come from our contacts working in Kherson.
- Le Monde, June 24, 2026: Kherson’s prewar population and life under drone attacks
- UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, September 16, 2026: August civilian protection report
- UNICEF, February 17, 2026: the impact of war on children in Kherson
- Human Rights Watch, July 9, 2026: civilians trapped in Oleshky and nearby communities
- Ukrainska Pravda, September 25, 2026: the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky (Ukrainian)
Summer Support:
Ready for School
This summer, Boca Helps Ukraine helped children in Kherson get ready for school when their families could not afford the essentials. Notebooks, pens, pencils and art supplies gave them the materials to keep learning and creating through another year of war.
We purchased all of the supplies directly in Kherson. Our contacts on the ground described them as some of the last school supplies still available in the city. They report that Russian attacks on warehouses and delivery routes have made bringing new supplies into Kherson almost impossible.
For parents already stretched by years of war, this was one less worry. Our hope was simple: that each child could begin the school year with the materials they needed and something to look forward to.
Children’s Rehabilitation Camp
With support from Boca Helps Ukraine, children affected by the war spent about a week at a rehabilitation camp. Many had lived in Kherson for years, through attacks, power cuts and long periods in shelters. Some also carry the worry of having a parent serving in the military.
Psychological support was central to the camp, alongside time to talk, play and build friendships. After years of disrupted learning and isolation, spending a week with other children mattered deeply. They had time to get to know one another, share meals and activities, and build friendships over several days.
Career guidance gave the older children space to explore their interests and think about who they wanted to become. We wanted them to come home with someone to stay in touch with, a little more confidence, and a future they could begin to picture.
