In 2024, around 4,000 children from Syria, Afghanistan, and Morocco, along with 60,000 children from Ukraine, sought protection in Bulgaria, according to a report by UNICEF.
The report, as cited by the Bulgarian News Agency, highlighted that 2024 was “one of the most catastrophic years for children in conflict zones” in UNICEF’s history. It noted that over 12,164 individuals, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Morocco, sought international protection in Bulgaria, including nearly 4,000 children, 64% of whom (approximately 2,569 children) were unaccompanied minors.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, by December 18, 2024, Bulgaria granted temporary protection to 201,389 people, including around 60,000 children. Currently, there are over 70,000 refugees from Ukraine in Bulgaria, with 40% of them being children.
UNICEF’s 2024 report also revealed that the global impact of armed conflict on children is unprecedented, with over 473 million children—more than one in six—living in conflict-affected areas. The number of children living in conflict zones has nearly doubled since the 1990s. By the end of 2023, 47.2 million children had been displaced due to conflict and violence.
UNICEF’s report warns that conflict-related malnutrition is at life-threatening levels for children, with food insecurity and mass displacement exacerbating the crisis.
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