Summer camps in EU provide a safe place for Ukrainian children  

The presidents of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Association of Ukrainian Cities have congratulated cities and regions organising summer camps in the European Union for Ukrainian children, describing the action as an act of solidarity that offers a sense of normality to some of the millions of Ukrainian children whose lives have been shaken by the war. ​ 

The summer camps are part of a broader show of solidarity by the EU’s cities and regions, ranging from humanitarian aid to twinnings and commitments to support the reconstruction of Ukraine​. 

More than 500 children have attended the summer camps organised by members of the European Committee of the Regions. The children come from both primary and secondary schools, and are currently displaced within Ukraine. The camps have lasted between 10 days and three weeks. More camps will be organised over the summer.

President of the European Committee of the Regions Vasco Alves Cordeiro, said: “The war against Ukraine has shaken the entire continent, but the thing it has shaken most is the life of millions of Ukrainian children. European cities and regions immediately stepped in to provide humanitarian aid and welcome displaced Ukrainians and they are now working to support Ukraine’s reconstruction. Several also decided to provide many children with a place to feel safe and to take part in recreational activities … I am thankful to all the local and regional representatives who responded to this call and provided a breath of fresh air to hundreds of Ukrainian children.”

Mayor of Kyiv Vitaly Klitschko added: “We are grateful to the European Committee of the Regions for promoting the project of summer camps for Ukrainian children. It is nice to see smiling kids who went to the camps and felt safe there, at least for a while.”

So far, five camps have been arranged with the support of the CoR – in Rome in Italy, Nîmes in France, Preili in Latvia, Wielkopolska in Poland, and Maramureș in Romania – and camps are planned in the regions of Bavaria in Germany, Podkarpackie in Poland, Mallorca in Spain, and in the city of Gdańsk in Poland.

Activities typically include indoor and outdoor activities, excursions, and evening entertainment. The children have psychological and medical support to hand.

The costs of the camps are footed by the EU municipalities and regions participating, together with public, private and civil-society partners. 

The children at the camps come from across Ukraine, but some of the camps have helped children from specific areas, including the regions of Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Lviv, and Zakarpattia and the municipalities of Kyiv, Chuhuiv, Nizhyn, and Tyachiv.

Find out more

Press release