Qatar-mediated effort reunites 7 Ukrainian, Russian children with families

Qatar said Friday it has successfully helped reunite seven children from Ukraine and Russia with their families, as part of an ongoing humanitarian initiative aimed at reuniting relatives separated by the war.

‏In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said four children were reunited with relatives in Ukraine, while three others were returned to family members in Russia during the latest phase of the mission in August.

‏The operation brings the total number of reunified children to 107 since Qatar launched its mediation efforts between the two countries.

Qatar thanked Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova and Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets for their cooperation and "tireless efforts" to ensure the mission's success.

‏Since October 2023, Qatar has worked quietly to mediate the return of dozens of children to their families, arranging their transfer across borders and ensuring their safe handover.

‏Ukrainian officials say around 20,000 children have been separated from their families since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February 2022, a claim Moscow denies.