UNICEF warned on Tuesday that over 200 million children in more than 130 countries will require humanitarian assistance in 2026, describing the global situation as one of the most severe crises for children in decades. The agency cited a “perfect storm” of climate-driven disasters, prolonged conflicts, economic instability and widening inequities as the primary factors driving historic levels of need.
Speaking at the first regular session of UNICEF’s Executive Board, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said the overlapping crises are pushing families beyond their limits and threatening decades of progress in child health and survival. “The humanitarian situation facing children today is among the most severe we have ever seen,” she said, stressing that climate shocks, violence, displacement and economic pressures are combining to increase suffering worldwide.
UNICEF’s estimates show that more than 200 million children across over 130 countries will need support this year, a figure that reflects escalating needs and shrinking resources for emergency response. The agency’s warnings come amid rising conflict in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, more frequent and intense climate disasters, and economic pressures that have eroded household resilience and access to basic services.
The majority of children in need are living in fragile or crisis-affected contexts where years of instability have undermined health systems, disrupted education and eroded food security. UNICEF says that in addition to conflict zones, climate-related emergencies such as floods, droughts and hurricanes are now widespread drivers of humanitarian need, often striking vulnerable communities with little warning.
Russell highlighted that global hunger and displacement are rising alongside the number of children requiring protection and basic services, placing enormous pressure on already overstretched humanitarian systems. She warned that funding gaps could force aid programmes to scale back life-saving interventions just as the demand for assistance grows.
UNICEF’s appeal for 2026 calls on governments, donors and partners to step up support for food assistance, health care, safe drinking water, education and protection services for children caught in emergencies. The agency also urged that humanitarian and development funding be better aligned to respond to complex, overlapping crises that threaten children’s rights and futures.
The alert highlights the compounding effects of climate shocks, ongoing wars, economic downturns, and rising inequality — pressures that are stressing families and communities and heightening the risk that more children will be pushed deeper into poverty, hunger and disease without timely aid.