UNICEF Says 200 Million Children in 130 Countries Need Humanitarian Assistance

JAKARTA - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday that more than 200 million children in more than 130 countries will need humanitarian assistance in 2026 - one of the worst global crises facing children.

Speaking at the first regular session of the agency's executive board, UNICEF Chief Catherine Russell said the scale and complexity of the challenges facing children around the world are intensifying as conflicts deepen, climate shocks, economic instability, and inequality.

"The humanitarian situation facing children today is among the worst we have ever seen," Russell said, adding that "more than 200 million children in more than 130 countries need humanitarian assistance in 2026," as quoted by Anadolu (11/2).

Furthermore, Russell said, the global environment for children is becoming increasingly difficult, with increasing pressure on families and communities as needs increase and resources shrink.

"To say that we meet at a significant moment, for the world, for the multilateral system, and for UNICEF is a very understated statement," he said.

"In the past year, we have seen challenges to the future of the multilateral system, to the value and effectiveness of international assistance, and ultimately to the world's collective responsibility to care for those who need it most, especially children," Russell said.

Warning that decades of progress in child survival is now at risk of being reversed, he noted "2025 could be the first year of this century in which child deaths will increase, reversing progress over generations."

He emphasized that children's and mothers' health remained UNICEF's top priority, even as humanitarian needs continued to increase.

"Conflicts, climate shocks, economic instability, and inequality put enormous pressure on children, families, and communities," Russell said.

Highlighting the sharp increase in violence against children, he said last year recorded the highest number of verified serious violations against children ever documented, including murder, abduction, and sexual violence.

"At the same time, famine is reappearing in 2025, when two famines are simultaneously announced - an unprecedented and very worrying development," he said.

Despite the increased needs, Russell said "sudden and severe funding cuts force us to make difficult choices across humanitarian operations; which lives do we prioritize as we limit supplies, reduce the frequency of services, and reduce the interventions children need to survive."

"Providing assistance for every child means finding ways to leverage our capacity to do more with what we have," he added.

Russell noted that UNICEF operates in more than 190 countries and territories, calling for stronger partnerships and reforms to maintain life-saving work.

"The choices we make - on funding, reform, and partnerships - will shape what is possible for children in years to come," he said.