GENEVA

At least 68 children have been killed and 180 others have been injured since March 2014 as a result of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Friday.

"UNICEF expects the actual number of child casualties to be considerably higher than reported as many areas remain inaccessible due to conflict," UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac said in a press conference at the UN headquarters in Geneva.

According to UN body, the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which is in its second year, has created a humanitarian crisis affecting more than five million people, including 1.7 million children.

More than 6,400 people have been killed in the eastern Ukraine and about 1.3 million people have been internally displaced from their homes and communities in Ukraine, UNICEF noted.

The organization continues its appeal for $55.8 million for the urgent humanitarian needs of children and families in Ukraine.