RIGA, Feb 26 (LETA) - The Riga City Council on Wednesday decided to donate EUR 105,000 to continue organizing psychological support camps for Ukrainian children in Riga.

The funding is to be allocated to the Children's Hospital Foundation (BSF).

In a letter last September, the BSF called for continued financial support for the organization of camps for Ukrainian children in Riga in 2026.

The funding will be allocated from the Riga City Council's budget reserve fund.

As previously reported, last year the BSF organized six psycho-emotional support camps for Ukrainian children's hospital patients and their families, during which assistance was provided to 244 Ukrainian residents - 131 children and 113 parents and guardians, BSF representative Linda Anna Daldere informed LETA.

Donations from the 2025 campaign will help organize another camp next spring.

BSF psycho-emotional support camps are organized in cooperation with the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Ukraine in response to the profound and lasting impact of war on children's mental health.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, BSF and Okhmatdyt have organized 17 camps, providing assistance to a total of 351 children and 323 adults. The youngest camp participant was four years old.

BSF explains that the camps are attended by children from regions of Ukraine where active warfare is still ongoing. All camp participants are patients of the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, which means that the children have been diagnosed with various physical illnesses that require specially tailored, comprehensive support.

During each camp, children and their parents are provided with comprehensive support, combining psychological assistance with physical and emotional rehabilitation, explains the foundation.

During the program, participants receive individual consultations and group sessions led by specialists from the Adolescent Resource Center, participate in art and canine therapy, as well as physiotherapy sessions, which are supplemented by educational and sports activities.

In total, 36 specialist-led consultations, 18 therapeutic sessions, and approximately 54 different activities, including horseback riding, visits to water parks, and other activities were organized last year to help reduce stress and strengthen a sense of security.

BSF director Liene Dambina points out that in recent years, the foundation's representatives have become convinced that the camps are not only an opportunity for children and their parents to take a break from the daily reality of war, but also a place to regain a sense of security, receive care, and obtain professional support.