Lithuania will provide rehabilitation for Ukrainian children freed from Russian occupation
Lithuania is launching a new humanitarian initiative – physical and psychosocial rehabilitation will be provided in our country for Ukrainian children who were freed from Russian occupation and returned to Ukraine. Over the course of two years, more than 300 such children are expected to be received and assisted.
The children who were held captive in Russia have suffered physical, psychological, and moral trauma. The Lithuanian Ministry of Health has offered assistance to these children to help them overcome or at least lessen the effects of their traumatic experiences on their health and psychological well-being.
“This initiative is Lithuania’s proposal and an expression of our solidarity with Ukraine. We see the painful impact that war crimes against children have left, and therefore we feel a moral obligation to help those who were abducted and traumatized. We want Lithuania to become a place where they can regain peace, trust, and hope. Rehabilitation in Lithuanian medical institutions is the least we can do to help these children,” says Minister of Health Marija Jakubauskienė.
The project is being implemented in close cooperation with Ukraine’s health and child welfare institutions, as well as the Lithuanian Embassy in Ukraine. The Ministry also expresses gratitude to the civic initiative “Back to Life,” which takes care of transporting the children.
The rehabilitation of the children will take place in specialized centers in Lithuania, utilizing the experience and expertise of our country’s specialists in working with individuals who have suffered war trauma. Physical and psychosocial rehabilitation in Lithuania is part of ongoing support that the children will continue to receive in Ukraine. To ensure that the children visiting Lithuania can also get to know our country better and see its most beautiful places during their free time, local Lithuanian government institutions have agreed to assist.
Rehabilitation support for Ukrainian children is part of broader cooperation between Lithuania and Ukraine in the health sector. Since the beginning of the war, Lithuania has consistently provided humanitarian aid, organized training and internships for medical professionals, offered rehabilitation for injured soldiers and officers, and contributed to strengthening the preparedness and resilience of both countries’ health systems.
“The strength of the Ukrainian people and their determination to defend their freedom inspire the entire world. Lithuania will continue to stand by them—not only by providing support but also by helping to heal the wounds of war, which are not always visible on the outside,” emphasizes Minister M. Jakubauskienė.