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Canadian programs focus on reconciliation through a child-centered approach recognizing communities most deprived of their rights.

Canadian programs focus on reconciliation through a child-centered approach recognizing communities most deprived of their rights.

Canadian programs focus on reconciliation through a child-centered approach recognizing communities most deprived of their rights.

Canadian programs focus on reconciliation through a child-centered approach recognizing communities most deprived of their rights.

Canadian programs focus on reconciliation through a child-centered approach recognizing communities most deprived of their rights.

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Canadian programs focus on reconciliation through a child-centered approach recognizing communities most deprived of their rights.

Canadian programs focus on reconciliation through a child-centered approach recognizing communities most deprived of their rights.

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Canadian programs focus on reconciliation through a child-centered approach recognizing communities most deprived of their rights.

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The Principals of the affected United Nations (UN) entities and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel held in Yemen.

The Principals of the affected United Nations (UN) entities and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel held in Yemen.

The Principals of the affected United Nations (UN) entities and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel held in Yemen.

The Principals of the affected United Nations (UN) entities and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel held in Yemen.

The Principals of the affected United Nations (UN) entities and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel held in Yemen.

The Principals of the affected United Nations (UN) entities and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel held in Yemen.

The Principals of the affected United Nations (UN) entities and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel held in Yemen.

The Principals of the affected United Nations (UN) entities and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel held in Yemen.

Toronto, September 26, 2026 – Protection measures for girls need to be intensified across flood-affected areas of Nepal amid growing concerns over trafficking, violence, exploitation and child marriage one month after the country's devastating floods, Save the Children said. Uncertainty over permanent housing and livelihoods is putting girls at risk one month after the flash flood that killed at least 1,400 people with about 5,700 still missing. [1]. About 1,000 people remain in communal holding centres, where girls have reported concerns about privacy and safety due to the movement of unfamiliar people through shared spaces. Some girls are living in tents in camps on the periphery of towns with inadequate lighting at night, creating a safety risk. Other families have moved into rented rooms, often far away from their communities. Save the Children is working alongside local authorities and partners to strengthen protection measures in displacement sites, including increased monitoring and surveillance, awareness raising on gender-based violence and child marriage, and expanding access to psychosocial support and case management services for children and their families. The organisation is also supporting police at checkpoints to identify and respond to signs of trafficking and exploitation affecting children, adolescents and women, helping ensure those at risk are connected to social protection services and specialist support. Weakened community protection due to displacement as well as the loss of education, livelihoods and incomes is compounding the risks for girls in Nepal where more than a third of girls are married as children, according to the 2021 census. [2]. Girls married as children are more likely to leave school, experience early pregnancy, face restrictions on their decision-making, and experience multiple forms of gender-based violence throughout their lives. Trafficking is also seen as a risk in Nepal. More than 11,500 women and girls were reported missing to police between 2024 and 2025, with nearly one in four remaining untraced, according to the National Human Rights Commission. Information from trafficking survivors indicates that 41% were trafficked for prostitution and more than a third – 37% - were girls. [3]. Tara Chettry, Country Director, Save the Children in Nepal, said: “One month on, thousands of children are living with the impacts of that torrential wall of water and debris. The waters have gone, but fear and uncertainty remain. “Girls are telling us they do not feel safe at displacement sites, while many children are grieving the loss of parents and loved ones. Others remain out of school, and every day out of class is a protection risk. “Adolescent girls are often among the first to lose access to education and among the last to regain it. Protecting their rights, safety and opportunities must remain central to the response and recovery. “These risks do not emerge from the disaster alone. They are shaped by existing gender inequalities, unequal access to resources and decision-making, and social norms that often place a disproportionate burden on girls and women during crises.” Girls who assume increased caregiving responsibilities often face pressure to prioritise unpaid care work over education and extended periods out of school reduce the likelihood of re-enrollment. Combined with displacement and loss of income, this can increase risks of child marriage, exploitation and other forms of gender-based violence. Sukmaya*, 18, volunteers with Save the Children and leads play-based activities for children alongside psychosocial counsellors who are supporting her and others who have been displaced. Sukmaya*'s mother and sisters were killed when the floods tore through her village. Sukmaya* said: “If school reopened, we could study again and meet our friends. Being back in school would help us move forward.” Save the Children has so far reached more than 7,500 people, including about 2,300 children, with emergency assistance and support. Save the Children has worked in Nepal since 1976. The organisation runs programmes spanning child protection, child rights governance, education, climate change, gender equality, health and nutrition and child poverty. References: * Denotes name changed to protect identity [1] National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 22 September https://ndrrma.gov.np/np/situation-report/442 [2] National Population and Housing Census 2021 https://censusresults.nsonepal.gov.np/population#marital_sts [3] Trafficking in Persons report, National Human Rights Commission, April 2026 https://www.nhrcnepal.org/uploads/publication/TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS_IN_NEPAL(NATIONAL_REPORT_2026)1.pdf

The Principals of the affected United Nations (UN) entities and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel held in Yemen.

Toronto, 24 September 2026 – More than 26,000 people in Somalia are expected to fall into catastrophic levels of food insecurity in coming months, just one step away from famine, as families already struggling with drought brace for heavy rains and flooding, Save the Children said.

Toronto, 23 September 2026 – About 8 million children across East and Southern Africa could face acute hunger by early 2027, a rise of 30%, as one of the strongest El Nino weather events in recent years fuels a growing food crisis, according to new analysis by Save the Children.

Toronto, 16 September 2026 - At least eight children were reported killed early today, and dozens more are among 100 people missing following the collapse of a six or seven story building damaged by an earlier Israeli strike in Gaza City.  

Toronto, 16 September 2026 - The latest violence in Yemen threatens to shatter the already threadbare health system for children, Save the Children said.

Toronto, 15 September 2026 – Over one in five of the people killed and injured in recent violence in Yemen are children, said Save the Children, with more than 80% of the child casualties caused by airstrikes, shelling or drones [1].

Toronto, 9 September 2026 – All 1.5 million school-aged children in the occupied Palestinian territory are being denied their right to a safe and quality education for a fourth consecutive academic year, said Save the Children on International Day to Protect Education from Attack [1]. 

Toronto, 9 September 2026 – About 540 children have been separated from their parents or are unaccompanied two weeks since Nepal's devastating flash floods, according to an initial assessment, Save the Children said.

Staff account by: Ruba* (31) is a Save the Children staff member in the West Bank

Toronto, 2 September 2026 - One week after massive flooding swept through communities across Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, children are showing signs of psychological distress, Save the Children said, as families worry about their futures.

Toronto, 31 August 2026 – Children crammed into public shelters are facing an increased risk of illness as families struggle to get clean water for drinking and washing in the aftermath of the devastating flash floods, Save the Children said.

For millions of people in Yemen, getting enough food has been a daily struggle for nearly a decade.

Toronto - August 28, 2026 – Nine school children have been reunited with their families after being stranded at school for two days by the devastating flash floods in Northern Nepal, as rescue efforts continue to reach other students, Save the Children said.

Toronto - August 27, 2026 – Volatile oil prices driven by six months of conflict in the Middle East are pushing up the cost of delivering aid globally and could mean Save the Children reaches 1.5 million fewer children with lifesaving assistance than planned, the child rights organisation warned. [1]

Toronto - August 27, 2026 – Nearly two-thirds of children surveyed across four districts in southern Yemen are out of school following more than a decade of conflict and displacement, Save the Children said as the new school year begins.

Toronto - August 27, 2026 – Rescuers are racing to find survivors in the flash flood-devastated areas of Northern Nepal, as Save the Children delivers emergency aid to families, with many places still only accessible by helicopter.  

Toronto, 26 August 2026 – Conditions in the world’s largest refugee settlement are worsening at an alarming rate after nine years, with more than one in three Rohingya refugees expected to face ‘crisis’ hunger levels this year putting more children at risk of malnutrition[1], Save the Children said.

Toronto, 21 August 2026 – Thanks to the long-term strategic partnership between Save the Children and Ferrero, results achieved between 2020 and 2025 in cocoa-growing communities in Côte d'Ivoire demonstrate significant progress in the fight against child labour and community strengthening driven by a holistic approach and close collaboration with and through government systems.

Toronto, 21 August 2026 – At least 180 children have lost both parents or primary caregivers in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Ebola outbreak, equivalent to nearly two children every day, since the deadly virus was declared 100 days ago, Save the Children said.

When Leila* and her children arrived in Ar Raqqa, Syria, in February this year, they found themselves in surroundings that felt completely unfamiliar. Her children had spent almost their entire lives in Al Hol camp in northeastern Syria, and adjusting to life outside its fences was overwhelming.

A soccer field, seeds, and the children of Lebanon

Protecting Humanitarian Workers Means Protecting Children

Toronto, August 18, 2026 – More than 8,000 children in Indonesia’s southernmost province of East Nusa Tenggara are facing safety risks and disruptions to their education after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Flores.

Toronto, August 17, 2026 – Nearly all attacks on humanitarian workers over the past five years –96% – were on national staff as parties to conflict flouted laws designed to protect aid workers and violence reached unprecedented levels, Save the Children said ahead of World Humanitarian Day.

Toronto, August 14, 2026 – Nearly 39,000 children fled to the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan, Sudan, over the first six months of the year, escaping violence and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure that have uprooted families across the state, Save the Children said.

Toronto, August 13, 2026 – The number of acutely malnourished children in Afghanistan is increasing with nearly one in 10 children under five suffering from wasting at a time when plummeting funding is shuttering essential services and threatening progress, Save the Children said. [1]

Save the Children is in Ceuta monitoring the situation and the needs of children, and is offering its support to the authorities to respond   

Toronto, 12 August 2026 – About 26 million children in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe Union lived in areas that experienced unusually high carbon emissions over the past month, with millions remaining exposed as fires continue to burn, said Save the Children.

Toronto, 10 August 2026 – The strongest earthquake to hit Colombia in a decade has struck the western part of Colombia, causing widespread destruction across the Pacific Region. The disaster has left children and families facing uncertainty, fear and the loss of homes, schools and essential services, said Save the Children.  The quake hit on Monday morning as families were at home or beginning their day, with tremors felt as far away as Venezuela. While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, preliminary reports indicate that over 100 people, including children, have been killed, while many more have been injured.   Maria Mercedes Liévano, Save the Children’s Country Director for Colombia, said:  "While the full extent of the damage is still emerging, we know that earthquakes can have a devastating impact on children in an instant.  In the aftermath of an unforeseen event like this, children may face heightened risks to their safety, well-being and access to essential services. Communities are currently grappling with disruption and uncertainty.”   The full scale of the impact is still emerging as damaged infrastructure, power outages and communications disruptions hamper assessments in some of the worst-affected areas. Reports indicate that buildings have collapsed, raising concerns that people may remain trapped beneath the rubble. Schools and public hospitals have been evacuated, with many sustaining severe damage, disrupting children's access to education, healthcare and safe spaces at a time when they need them most.   Children are among the most vulnerable in the aftermath of earthquakes, facing heightened risks to their health, protection and wellbeing, said Save the Children. As response efforts continue, there is an urgent need for lifesaving assistance and support to rescue survivors, and help children and families cope with their immediate needs in the days and weeks ahead.  Save the Children stands ready to support affected communities and is closely monitoring the situation to provide support where it is needed the most.   Save the Children has worked in Colombia for 40 years, working in the regions most affected by natural disasters, armed conflict, violence, poverty, climate change, and mixed migration.  

Toronto, 06 August 2026 – A lack of safe housing, identification and specialized support for migrant girls who have arrived in Ceuta could increase their exposure to violence, trafficking and exploitation, said Save the Children calling for their protection be an immediate priority of the response, the children's rights organization warns.

Toronto, 4 August, 2026 - The bodies of 40 children were among 112 Palestinian people buried today in Gaza, in one of the largest collective funerals in the occupied Palestinian Territory since conflict erupted in October 2023.  

Toronto, 31 July 2026 – Thousands of children arriving in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta amid a surge in migration need immediate protection, with Save the Children calling on the Spanish authorities to provide them with safe accommodation and ensure no child is left without the support they need.

Toronto, 30 July, 2026 – Palestinian mothers in Gaza are struggling to breastfeed their infants more than 10 months since the ‘ceasefire’ agreement was put in place amid Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza, said Save the Children. 

Guest blog by Inaya Muhammad.

Toronto, 29 July 2025 – Save the Children has launched its third annual Global Media Awards, honoring exceptional journalism that champions the rights of children worldwide.

Toronto, 29 July 2026 – The number of children receiving treatment for the most dangerous form of malnutrition in Baidoa, south central Somalia, nearly tripled in six months, according to new figures from Save the Children’s stabilization centre in the region [1], warning over the country’s worsening drought and hunger crisis.

Toronto, 24 July 2026 – Children impacted by the twin earthquakes in Venezuela a month ago said they are missing their homes, schools and loved ones and friends who were among the nearly 5,400 people that died in the disaster, said Save the Children. 

Toronto, 24 July 2026 – Save the Children, the leading independent children’s rights organization, is pleased to announce the appointment of Grant Rasmussen and Amy Syed to its Board of Directors. Together, they bring extensive leadership experience spanning finance, technology and corporate governance, strengthening the organization's ability to advance its vision for children in Canada and around the world.

Toronto, 23 July 2026 – More than 74,000 children under five in Gaza will suffer acute malnutrition in the year to April 2027, according to new data, highlighting that the crisis remains catastrophic with children paying the highest price, Save the Children said.

Toronto, 22 July 2026 – At least 189 children have now died in the latest Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with thousands more living with fear and trauma and in need of mental health support after witnessing loss in their communities, Save the Children said.

Toronto, 21 July 2026 – At least 19 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territory so far in July with four children reportedly killed in Gaza this morning, with attacks near-daily despite a ceasefire, Save the Children said.

Toronto, 21 July 2026  - Children in Yemen are being plunged deeper into hunger as world leaders fail to fully re-open the Strait of Hormuz, said Save the Children, releasing a new market assessment showing how fuel and food prices have skyrocketed since the escalation in the Middle East region four months ago.  

Toronto, 20 July 2026 – More than 1,000 Palestinian children have been displaced by a surge in settler violence in the West Bank in the first six months of 2026, causing extreme disruptions to children’s schooling, safety and sense of wellbeing, said Save the Children.

Discover how one teacher in Ethiopia is helping children with disabilities access inclusive, quality education.

Toronto, 16 July 2026 - Save the Children UK’s Patron,  Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, has met children playing football in Thailand and leading climate campaigns in South Korea as part of her visits to the child rights organisation [1].

Toronto, 16, July 2026 – More children in Yemen have been killed by landmines and other unexploded ordnances (UXOs) in the first six months of this year than all of 2025, according to new Save the Children analysis[1], with the escalating toll of explosive weapons demanding urgent action to protect children and clear deadly remnants of war.

Discover how one teacher in Ethiopia is helping children with disabilities access inclusive, quality education.

Discover how learning through play is helping a young refugee girl in Ethiopia build confidence, make friends and prepare for school.

Toronto, 7 July 2026 – Hundreds of people displaced by Venezuela’s devastating earthquakes are sharing extremely limited toilets in informal camps, while others are risking returning to damaged homes to use bathrooms despite fears the buildings could collapse, Save the Children said.  

Toronto, 8 July 2026 – As South Sudan marks 15 years of independence, children growing up in the world's youngest nation are calling on its leaders to listen to children and include them in decision-making, Save the Children said.

Valentina works with Save the Children in Venezuela. She was in Caracas on the night of Wednesday 24 June when the twin earthquakes struck.

Toronto, 2 July 2026 — Children affected by last week’s earthquakes in Venezuela are facing increasing health risks as many families in shelters and temporary settlements lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services, Save the Children said.

Toronto, 2 July 2026 – After 1,000 days of war, children in Gaza said they had lost homes, schools and a sense of safety but not their hopes for the future with even the ongoing violence failing to stop them from dreaming of peace and careers to help them rebuild their communities. 

Toronto, June 2026 – Israeli forces have reportedly killed seven Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank in the week since a UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces have been deliberately targeting Palestinian children.

Toronto, 30 June 2026 – Save the Children together with the Humanitarian Coalition—Canada's 12 leading aid organizations—welcomes the Government of Canada’s announcement that it will match, dollar-for-dollar, donations to its Venezuela Earthquake Response appeal up to a maximum of $2 million. Donations made to the Humanitarian Coalition and its 12 member organizations will be matched retroactively to June 25, 2026, until July 14, 2026.

Toronto, June 29, 2026 – Children in Venezuela are living on the streets and in informal tented camps, underscoring the urgent need for support, as rescue teams work round the clock to free people from the rubble with about 50,000 reported missing, Save the Children said [1].  

 Toronto, June 26, 2026 - Families in earthquake-devastated Venezuela spent a second night sheltering in open spaces amid fears of further building collapses and raising serious concerns over children’s safety and their immediate needs, Save the Children said.

Toronto, June 25, 2026 – Rescuers are racing to find people trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings after two massive earthquakes struck west of the capital Caracas, forcing children and their families from their homes, Save the Children said.

Toronto, June 24, 2026 – A  saying that children in Gaza and the West Bank were deliberately targeted by Israel authorities and security forces, must mark a turning point for the world to stop turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinian children and hold perpetrators to account, said Save the Children. 

Toronto, June 22, 2026 – Using puppets, songs, and musical statues, children as young as four in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are to be taught about Ebola in a new programme aiming to tackle misinformation, Ebola denial, and protect families, Save the Children said. The series of play-based learning activities, developed by Save the Children, are to be rolled out across the DRC to increase children’s awareness of the virus and dispel myths and rumours in a bid to stem the spread of the DRC’s third worst Ebola outbreak on record. Fear and misinformation have contributed to attacks on health workers and treatment centres and to declining school attendance in parts of the DRC, said Save the Children, with parents saying they were concerned about children contracting the illness in class or the playground.  With end-of-year exams now taking place across the DRC, Save the Children with the Education Cluster has also launched new guidance for schools and teachers on how to prevent the risk of Ebola exposure, promoting handwashing, screening at entrances to examination centres, and quick treatment for Ebola-like symptoms. Alfred*, 40, a schoolteacher in the DRC, said fear has spread among children in his classrooms nearly as rapidly as misinformation in communities about the latest strain of Ebola, Bundibugyo, which has claimed about 232 lives so far among 896 cases, including at least 26 children, according to the Ministry of Health. This has left him with nearly empty classrooms, with some children hiding in bushes and end-of-year exams being rushed or rescheduled. He is also concerned about stigma and discrimination as children from highly affected areas are excluded by classmates but remains committed to raising awareness. Alfred said rumours about the outbreak, that was officially declared on 15 May, spread through “battery‑less radios” where people circulate false information through conversations and social media resulting in denial of Ebola and distrust in healthcare and even schools.  He said: “[The rumour is that] once a person is infected with this disease, they go to the hospital. From there, only corpses return home. So, this also creates panic among people. That is why people say it is as if they inject water into the bodies of patients, and that is what kills them.” One of Alfred’s students, 13-year-old Alice*, who dreams of becoming a doctor, said hearing that many people have died from Ebola makes her feel very scared and sad, especially as many children are unable to attend school. She told Save the Children team in Ituri, the worst hit area in the eastern DRC: “Children cannot come to school because of the disease.  When I hear what people are saying, they say many have died from Ebola. They tell us to protect ourselves and keep our distance. It makes me very scared, very worried” “When talking about Ebola, some people refuse to believe it exists, they say it is a lie, while others accept it.” With training from Save the Children, along with local health and education authorities, teachers including Alfred have integrated Ebola awareness into daily school life, educating students about the nature of the virus and prevention measure. As part of its Ebola response in Ituri, Save the Children has provided 33 schools with complete infection prevention and control kits including thermal scanners, handwashing devices, chlorine, hygiene equipment among other items. Dr Babou Rukengeza, Save the Children’s Ebola Response Lead in the DRC, said:   “Unfortunately, we are seeing significant community resistance to prevention and treatment measure, as case numbers rise. Some families are refusing to allow health workers to disinfect their homes after a case is suspected, and we have also seen unfortunate cases where people with Ebola have chosen to leave isolation facilities. “We know that attacks on treatment centres and health workers reflect tensions between public health measures and community understanding of Ebola, how it spreads and how it needs to be treated. “We understand people are fearful, and we need to do everything we can to help communities understand why certain prevention and response measures are in place. “While Ebola is primarily a health crisis, it also has significant impacts on education systems, disrupting learning and affecting children’s wellbeing. We are working to change that through these programmes, using schools to help prevent the spread of Ebola and serve as a critical platform for response as well as a safe, inclusive space for children.” In the DRC since 1994, Save the Children partners with 13 local organisations, as well as international agencies and government authorities, to deliver life-saving support in health, nutrition, education, child protection, food security, and water, sanitation, and hygiene for children and their families. *Names changed to protect identities   ENDS

Toronto, June 19, 2026 - Almost 2 million children have returned to their hometowns in Syria in the past 18 months - the largest voluntary movement of returnees globally - but many find their homes damaged, basic services collapsed and the land contaminated by explosive devices, Save the Children said [1].

Sangita Patel recounts her journey to Sierra Leone to see firsthand the impact of Save the Children’s FOUNDATIONS project.

Toronto, June 18, 2026– The number of children killed in conflict soared to at least 6,266 in 2025, up about 34% from 2024, with the increased use of high-tech explosive weapons driving the trend, said Save the Children [1].

Toronto, June 18, 2026 — About half of all children in Haiti are living on the frontlines of violence, with gunfire, drone strikes, armed clashes and other deadly threats at their doorstep, said Save the Children.

Toronto, June 15, 2026 – At least 52 children, including 16 toddlers and infants., have contracted Ebola in the month since the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared its latest outbreak, with 19 of these children confirmed to have died. The outbreak declared on 15 May has rapidly become the third largest ever recorded in the DRC, with some 782 confirmed cases and 181 confirmed deaths, according to latest figures from the Ministry of Health, and children are among the most vulnerable, said Save the Children. While young children represent a smaller portion of cases than other age groups, figures from the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) show that young children are suffering a far higher case fatality rate. Children aged 14 or under are more than twice as likely to die after contracting the illness than patients aged 15 to 44, according to a Save the Children analysis of the figures [1]. Young children often deteriorate rapidly when infected and require early identification, referral, and intensive supportive care to improve their chances of survival. These risks are further compounded by the conditions many children already face in humanitarian settings, including malnutrition, malaria, anaemia, poverty, displacement, interrupted vaccination and healthcare services, and limited access to essential treatment and nutrition support. Children are not only at risk of infection, but a multitude of knock-on effects, including family separation, psychological distress, being cut off from routine healthcare and protection services, dropping out of school, child labour and early marriage, said Save the Children. Basic, lifesaving supplies -like protective equipment, disinfectant, safe isolation spaces and essential medicines - are concerningly scarce in some areas. At the same time fear and misinformation risk accelerating transmission by discouraging families from seeking care, cooperating with contact tracing, or reporting symptoms early. Greg Ramm, Save the Children’s Country Director in the DRC, said:

Toronto, June 11, 2026 – Access to safe play areas for children amid humanitarian emergencies must be protected, Save the Children said, as the number of times children forced from their homes by conflict or violence reached an all-time high.[1]  The call comes as the world marks the third International Day of Play with this year’s theme being: Protect play - protect childhood. It aims to reinforce the need to protect children’s freedom to play even as safe spaces for children to play are shrinking globally. Data from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) for 2025 showed that conflict overtook climate as the major driver of global displacement for the first time last year.

The humanitarian sector is at a defining moment. Needs are rising. Resources are tightening. Traditional delivery models are under strain.

Toronto, June 10, 2026 – From classrooms reduced to rubble to hours spent studying underground, children graduating from high school in Ukraine reflect on how four years of war has transformed their education since first grade in a series of photos released today by Save the Children.

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Toronto, June 9, 2026 – Families and children in South Sudan’s eastern Jonglei state are surviving on leaves and water lilies as hunger surges towards famine levels in parts of the country following three months of escalating violence, Save the Children said. Many families in Jonglei state have been left without essential and life-saving services since an escalation in violence in March led to the suspension of aid operations in areas and government orders to aid agencies to evacuate, triggering mass displacement. Save the Children suspended its humanitarian operations in Akobo East - a refuge for people fleeing violence across Jonglei – and relocated staff due to increased violence. The withdrawal of services followed a similar suspension of operations in February in Walgak in Jonglei after armed gangs looted and vandalized a Save the Children office, destroyed a healthcare centre, and took three of the organisation's vehicles. Save the Children staff working in neighbouring counties have reported hearing horrific stories of families going without humanitarian aid while flooding worsens. In some parts of the state, families and children are surviving on leaves and water lilies collected from swamps and seeds reserved for planting, while mothers walk for hours through floodplains to find anything edible for their children. Save the Children said thousands of children are no longer attending school, while others are being forced into labour or early marriage as families struggle to survive. In areas where schools remain accessible, some children have stopped attending because they are too weak from hunger. The extreme coping mechanisms come as the latest analysis by the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) – the leading global authority on the severity of hunger crises – showed that four counties, including Nyirol and Akobo in Jonglei state, are at risk of famine. According to the IPC, more than 7.8 million people - or six in 10 people in South Sudan - are facing acute food insecurity. About 2.2 million children under five require treatment for acute malnutrition—an increase of around 90,000 cases since the previous analysis.  Nearly 700,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition – the deadliest form of hunger that requires urgent medical attention and specialised treatment. Health workers have reported children arriving at nutrition centres severely malnourished after surviving for weeks on diluted porridge or a mix of salt and flour. This deteriorating situation has become evident at a nutrition site at Bor Hospital in Jonglei state’s Bor County, where Save the Children operates three different programmes helping to screen and treat malnourished children and breastfeeding or pregnant mothers. Tabisa Ajer, 31, a health care worker at the hospital said: “We have over 60 children who are severely malnourished right now. Usually, we have 60 later in the wet season when malnutrition tends to spike but the number is high for this early on. The numbers have spiked due to the season and the worsening hunger crisis, flooding and insecurity. A lot of children coming here have diarrhea and vomiting. “We are just at the start of the rainy season now, and June to August the hunger situation usually worsens. This year is more dangerous than the other years. Insecurity is impacting food cultivation.” Chris Nyamandi, Country Director for Save the Children in South Sudan, said:  “Solutions to extreme hunger are political. This situation can be prevented and mitigated, before more children suffer. Next month South Sudan will mark 15 years of independence and greater investment in inclusive peace and social protection is needed to prevent violence amidst an escalating, underfunded humanitarian crisis response. “In an already hyper-prioritised humanitarian system, international aid cuts continue to disproportionately impact those most vulnerable in one of the world’s most fragile states.” Save the Children calls on all parties to the conflict to prioritize the protection of civilians, respect international humanitarian law, and ensure safe, sustained, and unhindered humanitarian access to already affected communities.  The aid agency is also calling for greater and more flexible resources needed to respond to the dire needs of the displaced populations in strained communities, with funding flows designed to reach local actors delivering principled aid. Save the Children has worked in South Sudan since 1991, providing children with access to education, healthcare and nutrition services, and supporting families with food security and livelihoods assistance. ENDS

Toronto, June 8, 2026 – Israeli authorities announced earlier today that they are closing border crossings into the Gaza Strip, including Kerem Shalam and Rafah, until further notice.  This politicization of aid once again puts food, clean water and emergency life-saving supplies including medical and shelter items needed to keep one million children and their families alive out of reach, Save the Children said.  

Toronto, June 8, 2026-  A magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked parts of the southern Philippines, causing damage in a key coastal city and affecting about 3 million students in the province of Sarangani [1]. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. suspended school classes in affected areas while calling on residents in coastal areas to evacuate immediately after a tsunami warning was issued. The country's Department of Education said that about 6,000 schools have been exposed to the earthquake, although this data could change as the full extent of the damage unfolds. Faisah Ali, Humanitarian Manager, Save the Children Philippines, said: "Today marked the opening of classes and schools across the Philippines after the country's summer break, but the Mindanao earthquake has put a terrifying and sudden stop to that. While the full extent of the damage is not yet known, our teams are reporting that the earthquake has destroyed classrooms and schools and forced classes to shut across many parts of the island. Children are scared, and their lives and learning have been disrupted. We're assessing the situation on the ground, where Save the Children already has a presence, and will work to reach affected children as soon as possible, including to ensure that learning continues even after an event like this." Save the Children has been working in the Philippines since 1981 with programmes in humanitarian response, health and nutrition, education, and children's rights and protection. ENDS References: [1] Department of Education: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1626748386127757&id=100063778338269&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=drcKX5O21HKJTOvn#

Toronto, June 6, 2026 - As the world prepares to watch the World Cup 2026, on makeshift pitches across refugee camps and in communities impacted by conflict across the globe, football is helping children to stay safe and start to recover from trauma, Save the Children said.

Toronto, June 4, 2026 - Donors and aid organisations including Save the Children have announced a commitment of USD $500 million today to ramp up the fight against child malnutrition in the world’s biggest humanitarian hotspots.

Toronto, June 1, 2026 – Sudan is bracing for a rise in child malnutrition as the lean or pre-harvest season starts with the prospects for crop production looking bleak after more than three years of war with conflict ongoing, warned Save the Children.

Toronto, May 27, 2026 – At least 25% of confirmed deaths from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are children, highlighting the urgent need to scale up health services and infection prevention to protect children, said Save the Children [1]. Latest government figures released on Wednesday show that children make up 25% of the 17 confirmed Ebola deaths - although the number of real cases is likely to be significantly higher as this number only includes children under 15, and only includes confirmed cases. Of these deaths, 14% are children under the age of 5. Some 1,077 people are now suspected of contracting Ebola with 238 suspected deaths since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, with children and youth under the age of 19 accounting for 17 out of 121 confirmed cases of Ebola, or 14%. This number of suspected cases is already over one third of all confirmed cases reported in the largest Ebola epidemic in the DRC in recent history,  in which there were 3,262 confirmed cases and 2,232 deaths, 28% of which were children. While the outbreak was declared 11 days ago, the number of deaths and infections is feared to be much higher, with the probable first or index case most likely to have been in the first few months of the year, adding to concerns about prolonged undetected transmission in the community. Children are among the most vulnerable group in this outbreak, said Save the Children. As well as being exposed to the direct risk of infection, they face major indirect consequences such as disruptions of essential health and nutrition services, loss of parents and caregivers, loss of access to schools, stigma, psychosocial distress, and increased protection risks. Children are particularly vulnerable if they lose one of both of their parents or primary caregivers to the illness, with Save the Children child protection staff already reporting at least two children who have lost their parents to Ebola and requiring urgent care support. Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, or indirect through contaminated materials, or infected surfaces. Its symptoms include fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and, in severe cases, bleeding.  The current Ebola outbreak is yet another crisis to hit DRC which has seen a sharp uptick this year in conflict, creating one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises with 5.6 million people including about 2.5 million children internally displaced while 15 million people – almost one in every seven people – need humanitarian assistance.  Dr Babou Rukengeza, Save the Children’s Ebola Response Lead in the DRC, said:   “This outbreak is moving at a terrifying speed. I have responded to several Ebola outbreaks over the years, but this is the fastest spread I have ever seen. Children are paying a devastating price, making up at least one in four confirmed deaths, although we suspected the numbers are far higher.  “When parents die, children suddenly lose the biggest support system they could possibly have and face fear, grief, stigma, and social exclusion. “In addition, this crisis is unfolding at a critical moment when children are preparing for their end-of-year exams, threatening not only their health but also their future.  “A rapid, well-funded, and coordinated response is essential to stop the spread of Ebola, maintain essential services, and ensure that children remain safe, protected, and able to continue learning throughout the outbreak. “We need urgent action and immediate flexible funding to scale up the health response and strengthen infection prevention and control, while ensuring children and families can access protection, education and essential services to save lives and reduce the long-term impact on communities.” Save the Children has provided chlorine to the health authorities in Bunia for facility decontamination and therapeutic milk to a centre for malnourished children and breastfeeding mothers suspected of having the Ebola virus. The aid agency is racing to equip health facilities with personal protective equipment, triage units and infection prevention and handwashing infrastructure while supporting active case detection and contact tracing in communities and health facilities. This includes training community health workers and teachers on virus detection and referral and providing emergency hygiene kits and thermometers. Save the Children started working in DRC in 1994 and currently collaborates with 13 local partners, alongside international organisations and government authorities, to provide life-saving support in health, nutrition, education, child protection, food security, and water, sanitation, and hygiene for children and their families.  Ends Notes: [1] According to latest data from the DRC’s Ministry of Health, released Wednesday 27 May with data up to Tuesday 26 May, [SitRep No. 12], there are 121 confirmed cases, 17 death confirmed, 1077 suspected cases, 238 suspected deaths. On page 3, there is a graph indicating 25% of confirmed deaths are children under 15, and 17 cases are children and youth under the age of 19

Toronto, May 19, 2026 – The race is on to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo before it spirals further in a country where decimated healthcare systems were slow to pick up on the disease and are ill equipped to stop the disease spreading, Save the Children said. At least 500 suspected cases of Ebola including 130 deaths have been reported in the DRC since the new outbreak began two weeks ago, according to the World Health Organization. As Save the Children prepares to launch a large-scale response to support local health systems and help Ebola-impacted families and children, the aid agency is calling for an urgent global effort to contain the virus. In previous outbreaks of Ebola, young children infected by the disease through contact with unwell caregivers and family members have often experienced high mortality. Beyond the health risks of the disease itself, children are also at particular risk of trauma and exploitation during an Ebola outbreak. Due to the high fatality rate with the Ebola virus disease, many children may lose one or both parents in an outbreak and face being stigmatized, isolated, or abandoned. The Ebola outbreak is yet another crisis to hit DRC which has seen a sharp uptick this year in conflict, creating one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises with 5.6 million people including about 2.5 million children internally displaced while 15 million people – almost one in every seven people – need humanitarian assistance. Greg Ramm, Save the Children’s Country Director in the DRC, said:   “The Ebola outbreak is a new massive crisis on top of an already difficult situation with a unique set of circumstances making this outbreak much more difficult to contain than we’ve seen recently. It is in an area of conflict, an area of humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced and healthcare systems are already severely compromised.  “This is also a different strain of Ebola to what has been seen in the province before, so the limited testing that was available in the province was testing for the Zaire strain and not coming up positive. By the time the Bundibugyo strain was detected, it had already spread quite far. We are in a game of catch-up.   “There's been a healthcare crisis across the DRC for years, yet the world’s attention tends to peak at a moment of an unusual disease, like mpox two years ago and now, with Ebola. It is important that the world doesn't lose interest when this outbreak is over and that everything is done so that the children of DRC can get the basic healthcare services they need, any time they need them.  “Our priority is to stop further spread, which means getting messages out about how to stay safe, about how to reduce contact, about avoiding direct contact with somebody who is sick. It's about getting basic infection prevention and control measures into health centres and, where there's not enough chlorine or disinfectant, get those supplies out.    “Right now, it’s critical the international community steps up to support efforts to protect children and families in DRC while helping halt further spread. We need the equipment, we need teams on the ground, and we need people to do what they can to keep people safe.” Save the Children started working in DRC in 1994. Today, we collaborate with 13 local partners, alongside international organizations and government authorities, to provide life-saving support in health, nutrition, education, child protection, food security, and water, sanitation, and hygiene for children and their families. We operate in the three eastern provinces most affected by the humanitarian crisis—North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri— where nearly six million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees are in urgent need of assistance as well as in Kasai, Kasai Oriental and Lomami on development projects in education, health and nutrition.  

May marks Leave a Legacy Month in Canada, a time to reflect on the impact you want to make beyond your lifetime.

Toronto, May 14, 2026 – About half of children under 5 in Somalia are facing acute malnutrition as poor rains and rising costs drive up hunger levels, with risk of famine announced for the first time in four years, Save the Children said. New data from the global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), showed that over 1.88 million children aged 6–59 months are suffering from acute malnutrition, including 493,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM),  a 2% increase since data in February. In addition, over 6 million people, or one in three people, are now experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity with over 1.9 million people facing emergency levels of food insecurity, signalling urgent action is needed to save lives and livelihoods. Burhakaba district in the Bay region of southwest Somalia has been classified to be facing the risk of famine through June 2026 – the first time such a classification has been announced in Somalia since the devastating drought of 2022. This classification means that at least one out of three children are expected to be acutely malnourished, with many more children expected to die from preventable diseases due to complications without urgent intervention. Failed rains, a sharp spike in food price due to the conflict in the Middle East, depreciation of the Somali Shilling in the south, and conflict‑related displacement have combined to push more people into hunger since the previous forecast in February. Suad*, 45, a mother of five, is living with three of her children in a makeshift tent at a camp for displaced people fleeing drought and conflict in the outskirts of Kismayo city, Somalia. This is the second time she has sought refuge in this camp,  having been displaced four years ago at the peak of Somalia’s worst drought in recent memory. She told Save the Children: “The situation is very dire. We have nothing to eat. We have nothing to sleep on and cover ourselves at night. You see my small child has even burned himself on the hands while trying to look for something to eat in other houses in the camps.” Mohamed Mohamud Hassan, Country Director for Save the Children in Somalia, said:   “Somalia is in the grip of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Children are dying from preventable causes — malnutrition, disease, displacement — while funding falls far short of what is urgently needed. “The window to prevent famine in Burhakaba and wider deterioration across Somalia is closing fast. We call on the international community to act now, scale up lifesaving assistance, and ensure that no child dies because the world looked away.” Save the Children is calling on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding to meet the needs of over 6 million people requiring assistance, prioritise support for nutrition and health programmes to prevent child deaths, and invest in longer-term resilience programming. Save the Children has been working in Somalia since 1951, delivering life-saving health, nutrition, education and protection services.  ENDS Notes to Editors: [1]According to the latest IPC report, 1.88 million children are estimated to be suffering acute malnutrition, an increase of 42,000 more children who require treatment for acute malnutrition from previous forecast in February. For Somalia, the total number of children under five years is 3,856,170  Therefore 1.88 million children estimated to suffer from acute malnutrition is 49% or nearly half of all children under five. 

Toronto, May 12, 2026 – More than four children have been killed or injured every day on average in Lebanon in the first 25 days of a temporary ceasefire with families still unable to return to their homes, said Save the Children ahead of further peace talks this week.  [1] 

Toronto, May 11, 2026 - More than 400 people in Bangladesh have died from confirmed or suspected measles in the past two months with government data estimating the number of cases at about 55,000 as Save the Children urges families to ensure children are part of an emergency vaccination campaign [1].

May 2026 - A coalition of international and regional NGOs is urgently calling for the immediate re-opening of a medical corridor for critically ill patients from Gaza to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, warning that children’s lives are being lost as access to life-saving treatment remains blocked.

Toronto, May 1, 2026 –Plagues of rats, mice and insects have swarmed displacement sites in Gaza in recent weeks as temperatures rise, escalating health risks for about 1.4 million people living in overcrowded displacement sites, Save the Children said.[1] 

Toronto, April 29, 2026 – Nearly one fifth of children in Lebanon – about 380,00 children - are expected to face crisis‑level hunger or worse between April and August 2026, according to Save the Children analysis of new data from the world’s leading expert on hunger crises. 

Toronto, April 29, 2026 – Families in Somalia are confronting a new catastrophe, with hunger and humanitarian needs soaring, a worsening drought, and aid levels at unprecedented lows, said Save the Children. 

Toronto, April 2026 - Cases of measles increased over 25% in conflict zones last year, with attacks on health care, aid cuts, vaccine misinformation, and disruption to health systems contributing to the worsening crisis, said Save the Children [1]. 

Toronto, April 24, 2026 - A week into the newly extended conditional ceasefire in Lebanon, over one million people, including 390,000 children, remain displaced across the country, with children still living in terror of bombing, said Save the Children [1]. 

Toronto, April 23, 2026 - The number of Rohingya refugees leaving Bangladesh and Myanmar by boat in the first three months of the year has increased about 90% compared to last year, with children among the thousands making perilous boat journeys, said Save the Children [1].

Toronto, April 22, 2026 - At least 55 Palestinian children have been blocked from attending school for the past ten school days because their path has been blocked by a barbed-wire fence, illegally erected by Israeli settlers. 

Toronto, April 20, 2026 - Over 2.7 million children aged under five in Pakistan are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition before September, as areas of the country still struggle to recover from devastating floods in 2025, Save the Children said. [1]

Toronto, April 17o - Global apparel retailer UNIQLO today announces the worldwide release of three new designs for its ongoing PEACE FOR ALL charity T-shirt project. The PEACE FOR ALL project features UNIQLO graphic T-shirts with designs expressing a wish for peace, provided voluntarily by collaborators with close ties to UNIQLO who support the aim of "take action with a desire for world peace." All profits from the T-shirt sales are donated to international humanitarian organizations. The latest items will be available from Friday, April 17th.

Nora Ingdal, Country Director, Save the Children Lebanon said: 

Toronto, April 16, 2026 – Every US$5 rise in global oil prices triggered by conflict in the Middle East could wipe out the equivalent of one month of life-saving humanitarian aid for nearly 40,000 children, according to a new projection by Save the Children.

Toronto, April 16, 2026 – The number of violent attacks against schools more than tripled in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the year to February 2026 amid escalating violence in the country, Save the Children said.

Toronto, April 14, 2026 – At least three children on average were born into war every minute in Sudan since the conflict erupted three years ago, as widespread violence, repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, and the collapse of essential health services place millions of mothers and newborns at deadly risk, according to Save the Children.

Shurouq, 31, is a Save the Children staff member in Gaza. Shurouq lost her husband after he was killed in the first weeks of the war. Along with her 3-year-old daughter, Karmel*, Shurouq has been displaced many times during the war.

Toronto, April 9, 2026 – Lebanon is facing an escalating crisis, with children newly unaccompanied and separated from their families following a brutal 24 hours of airstrikes.

Scorecard from humanitarian organisations assessing core civilian protection and humanitarian access provisions of the ceasefire plan reveals failure.

Toronto, April 8, 2026 – Reports that the US and Iran have agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire will be a welcome relief for families in the region, who have suffered five weeks of bombing, displacement and terror. However, a ceasefire is still urgently needed in Lebanon and the wider region.

Toronto, April 7, 2026 - Nearly one child a day on average is killed or injured by explosive ordnance in Afghanistan, prompting Save the Children to use camels to bring mine awareness education to children in remote agricultural areas.

Toronto, April 7, 2026 – Children in Gaza are holding funerals with dolls and turning war into a playtime game with fake shooting and pretending to throw missiles as violence becomes part of daily life after nearly two and a half years of war, Save the Children said. 

Toronto, April 2, 2026 - Over 1.6 million people have returned to frontline areas in Ukraine despite the dangers with families saying the financial stress of being away from home and missing their community outweighed the risks, [1] according to Save the Children research. 

"I had to choose between survival here and ensuring my loved ones don't starve there": mother and daughter displaced eight times in Gaza.

Toronto, March 31, 2026 – Health care in the Middle East and wider region has come under attack about once every six hours on average since conflict escalated a month ago across Lebanon, Iran, and Israel, Save the Children said. 

Toronto, March 31, 2026 – Prices for food, fuel and water in Somalia soared in March, with conflict in the Middle East compounding a humanitarian emergency in the already fragile country where one in three people are going hungry daily, Save the Children said. Fuel prices in Mogadishu surged 150% in March, from $0.60 to $1.50 per litre, with many imported food items doubling in retail price in just two weeks, according to the Somali government. Somalia's electricity supply, which relies heavily on diesel generators, also saw sharp cost increases, with pressures felt by households as well as schools and hospitals. Sorghum and maize prices -  staple grains which form part of most family meals -  rose by 25% and 33% respectively, while the World Food Programme reported that essential commodity prices across Somalia have increased by at least 20%. Somalia is heavily dependent on food imports, with food imports and food aid making up over 70% of the food consumed, according to the FAO. Halimo*, a business woman from Puntland in Somalia told Save the Children: "The cost of living has really gone up for us, especially with fuel becoming so expensive. Every single item has had $10 or $15 added to its price. The amount people used to buy has decreased, and everyone is complaining about it. It is well known that this issue is everywhere; whoever used to buy two sets of groceries now takes just one. All purchasing has declined.  Absolutely everything brought to us has gone up in price.” Rising shipping costs are also directly reducing the volume of food aid that can be purchased and delivered to children and families in Somalia, with the UN reporting severe pipeline disruptions for critical nutritional supplies - including Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, the primary clinical treatment for children with severe acute malnutrition. The soaring prices are intensifying one of the most severe hunger crises that Somalia has faced in recent years following three failed rainy seasons that have further reduced local agriculture, said Save the Children. Already one in three people in Somalia –6.5 million people, or about 32% of the population - are facing severe food shortages, with hunger levels approaching the 2022 peak when the country stood on the brink of famine. This is nearly double the number assessed to be facing high levels of acute food insecurity in August 2025, according to the WHO. The most recent analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) — the leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises—found that 1.84 million children under five, or over 61,000 classrooms of children, are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition across 2026, including 483,000 severe cases requiring urgent treatment. Disease is making the situation worse, with Save the Children recording outbreaks of acute watery diarrhea, cholera, measles, and diphtheria in parts of southern and central Somalia, each of which accelerates acute malnutrition in young children. Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, Save the Children's Country Director for Somalia, said: “When one in three people cannot access enough food to survive, it is already a crisis. The Middle East conflict is now making everything harder - food that was barely affordable is now out of reach, fuel costs are eating into every aspect of the response, and the therapeutic food that keeps severely malnourished children alive is stuck in disrupted supply chains. Somalia cannot absorb any more shocks without catastrophic consequences for children. “The international community stepped up in 2022 to prevent a famine. We need that same urgency today. Donors must close the funding gap immediately, and global actors must ensure that humanitarian supply chains to countries like Somalia are not sacrificed to the consequences of conflicts elsewhere. Every week of delay has a direct cost in children's lives.” Somalia's 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requires $852 million to reach those in greatest need. It remains critically underfunded - only 10.9% funded as of early March. As a result, about 600,000 vulnerable people have already lost access to food and cash assistance. Save the Children is currently responding across Somalia, delivering food assistance, nutrition treatment, clean water, child protection services, and education support to children and families across the country. Our teams are working to maintain continuity of services despite rising operational costs and compounding supply delays. Save the Children has been working in Somalia since 1951, delivering life-saving health, nutrition, education and protection services. In 2025, Save the Children reached 3.5 million people, including 1.9 million children across 17 regions in the country. ENDS

The situation deteriorated in January and we left Walgak.

Toronto, March 26, 2026 – One in every five children in Lebanon has been forced to flee their home in just one month as conflict in Lebanon and the Middle East and region triggers a mass wave of displacement, Save the Children’s Chief Executive Officer Inger Ashing said today. 

Toronto, 25 March 2026 – Nearly two thirds of families in provinces impacted by severe drought in northern Afghanistan have reported an increase in child labour, with only about one in five children attending school, according to a Save the Children assessment.

Toronto, March 23, 2026 – The Sudan INGO Forum is appalled by the latest drone attack on Ed Dain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, which killed at least 64 people, including 13 children, two female nurses, one male doctor and multiple patients, and injured nearly 90 others.

Jana, 28, is Save the Children’s Awards Management Coordinator in Lebanon. She has been displaced three times by conflict in Lebanon, the first time when she was eight years old. Jana and her family fled their house in Beirut on 2 March shortly after missiles struck a nearby neighbourhood. Jana studied petrochemical engineering before becoming a humanitarian worker.

Toronto, March 20, 2026 – Children having to sit next to their dead parents, and a woman forced to give birth in a canoe, are some of the heart-wrenching stories of terrified evacuations now emerging from South Sudan’s Akobo County. 

Toronto, March 19, 2026 – Food prices have surged in some of the most food-insecure countries in the Middle East and wider region due to the ongoing conflict, threatening to push the most vulnerable families further into hunger as Eid approaches, Save the Children said.

Toronto, March 18, 2026 – The conflict in the Middle East and wider region is obstructing key delivery routes for humanitarian supplies, delaying lifesaving medical shipments for at least 410,000 children in three countries, said Save the Children, warning the global impact will only grow [1].

March 2026 – Tonga has raised the legal age of marriage to 18 from 15, with Save the Children urging other Pacific Island nations to follow suit and to invest more in child protection and the future of girls. Previously children aged 15-17 could marry in Tonga with parental consent and about one in 10 girls in Tonga were married before the age of 18. But last year the country’s Women and Children Crisis Centre submitted a formal written submission seeking to raise Tonga’s legal marriage age to 18 in line with international rights standards. Tonga’s government passed a new law this week enacting the change. Save the Children welcomed Tonga’s decision, highlighting that childhood should be a time for learning, playing and a time when children feel safe. Children represent about 40% of Tonga’s 105,000 population. Despite progress to reduce child marriage worldwide, around 12 million girls still marry each year and there are an estimated 640 million girls or women who have been married in childhood [1]. Childhood marriage exposes girls to risks, including rape and other forms of sexual violence, domestic violence, early pregnancies and school drop-out. Across the Pacific [2], child marriage remains a significant challenge, with deep inequalities and slow progress in some nations, despite a commitment by countries under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end child marriage by 2030. In Papua New Guinea, nearly 27% of girls marry before age 18 with rates remaining largely unchanged since the early 1990s [3]. Over 1 in 5 girls in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu [4] are married before the age of 18. In Solomon Islands, Save the Children, along with partners, is campaigning alongside children through the ‘Make it 18’ campaign to have the legal age of marriage raised to 18. Child marriage is currently legal at 15 with parental or judicial consent. Caregivers there said girls were vulnerable to early marriage partly because bride prices were an attractive means of income for families. Bride prices can be paid in money, property, or other forms of wealth by a groom or his family to the bride's family. Save the Children is also calling for greater public investment in children’s services across the Pacific to be prioritised. Kim Koch, Save the Children’s Pacific Regional Director, said:  “Girls who are married young are robbed of their childhoods and of their futures. This move by Tonga to raise the legal age of marriage to 18 is an important example of positive change for children in the Pacific. It will better support girls’ futures including their education and any economic opportunities that also have an impact on their families and communities. “This new law will strengthen protection for children and young people, especially girls, making their homes, schools and communities safer and enable them to contribute to Tonga’s development goals.” Save the Children is calling for more public investment in children’s services in Tonga to support social and economic development and urges the government to ensure financial mechanisms for reform are included in the national budget. ENDS  *UNICEF 2024  References:  [1] https://www.wvi.org/publications/report/solomon-islands/make-it-18-report-community-voices-child-marriage-reform  [2,3,4] https://www.savethechildren.org.nz/assets/Files/Reports/FINAL-Child-Protection-Pacific-Situational-Study-Report-_-SC-Nossal-v3.pdf

Toronto, March 2026 – At least 215 children on average were forced from their homes each day in Colombia in 2025 - the highest number in at least a decade – due to intensified armed conflict, with displacement continuing into 2026, according to a Save the Children analysis.  

Toronto, March 17, 2026 - At least 400 people have been killed and 250 others injured, following an attack at a hospital facility in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, according to the country's de facto authorities.

Toronto, 16 March 2026 – Canada’s leading aid organizations – joining forces as the Humanitarian Coalition – are raising critical funds to rush life-saving assistance to people in need in Lebanon, Syria and across the wider region.

Toronto, March 15, 2026 – Children are clutching beloved pets and toys as they flee their homes in Lebanon due to the escalating conflict with the violence also cutting access to vital medical care, including for children and pregnant women, Save the Children said. 

Toronto, March 12, 2026 – Escalating violence in South Sudan's Jonglei state has forced the withdrawal of aid agencies from key areas, triggering mass displacement and leaving families stranded and without essential and life-saving service, Save the Children said. The aid agency was forced this week to suspend all humanitarian operations and relocate staff from Akobo East - a refuge for people fleeing violence across Jonglei - following a further uptick in violence. South Sudan’s military issued an order on 6 March for all civilians, NGOs, United Nations agencies and the United Nations Mission of peacekeepers in South Sudan, to vacate Akobo County due to conflict. At the time of withdrawal, Save the Children was providing critical health, nutrition, education, child protection and water and sanitation services to about 100,000 children in Akobo town, who are now going without these essential services and facing increasing violence. More than 45 staff have had to relocate. The latest withdraw of services follows a similar suspension of operations last month from Walgak, another town in the state, after gangs looted and burnt down a Save the Children office, destroyed a healthcare centre, and stole four of the organization's vehicles. Violence has displaced over 280,000 people since December in Jonglei  state, more than half of them women and children. Across South Sudan, conflict has escalated significantly following renewed fighting since late December, particularly in South Sudan’s eastern Jonglei state, the largest state in the country which is also one of the most food insecure parts of the country.   Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children’s South Sudan Country Director, said: “The absence of humanitarian workers in Akobo will have serious implications on the population who rely on humanitarian support. The disruption of aid operations risks further exacerbating an already severe humanitarian situation in Jonglei State. “Reports from the field show that many families are already living in extremely difficult conditions while on transit, with limited access to food, safe drinking water, healthcare, and protection services. Children are among the most affected, as disruptions to nutrition programs, health services, child protection services and community support mechanisms place them at heightened risk of malnutrition, disease, and other protection concerns. “Any prolonged disruption to humanitarian presence and operations in Akobo risks deepening an already fragile humanitarian situation and placing additional strain on communities that are already struggling to cope. “The protection and safety of civilians must always remain a priority, particularly in areas experiencing escalating conflict.” Save the Children calls on all parties to the conflict to prioritize the protection of civilians, respect international humanitarian law, and ensure safe, sustained, and unhindered humanitarian access to already affected communities. Save the Children strongly emphasizes that humanitarian organizations are neutral and impartial actors whose sole purpose is to provide lifesaving support to children and communities in need. Restrictions or forced relocation of humanitarian personnel and operations risk leaving thousands of vulnerable people without access to essential services at a time when needs are already acute. Save the Children has worked in South Sudan since 1991, providing children with access to education, healthcare and nutrition services, and supporting families with food security and livelihoods assistance. ENDS

Toronto, March 11, 206 – At least 52 million school age children* have been forced to stop school, moved to online learning or had their education disrupted as violence in the Middle East and wider region entered its second week, Save the Children said.

The humanitarian sector is at a defining moment. Needs are rising. Resources are tightening. Traditional delivery models are under strain.

Toronto, March 10, 2026 – About 68,000 children in eastern Afghanistan have been forced from their homes by an escalation in armed clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Save the Children said [1].

Nadira, just 7 months old and the youngest of eight children, has already begun showing signs of malnutrition - this is her family's reality.

Toronto, March 9, 2026 – Ten days since the first strikes in the Middle East and wider region 83 children have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Ministry of Public health, and almost 300 children have been killed in the region – the equivalent to 10 classrooms full of children. [1]

Toronto, March 8 2026 - “Children were already paying the highest price in wars worldwide, and the escalating conflict in the Middle East is only deepening the crisis, with hundreds killed, thousands displaced, and millions living in fear.

Toronto, March 4, 2026 - At least 100 million children in countries directly impacted by the escalating violence in the Middle East and wider region ​face deepening fear, distress and the risk of physical harm and displacement, Save the Children said.

Statement by the Regional Directors of the INGOs in the Middle East Region

Toronto, March 3, 2026 – Families are sleeping in cars, in the street and in damaged schools seeking safety as the number of people displaced in Lebanon rises and with seven children reported killed, Save the Children said.   

Toronto, March 3 2026 – The first shipment of vaccines to South Kordofan state in nearly three years will restore lifesaving immunisation services to children and communities cut off from essential supplies due to conflict and siege, Save the Children said.

Toronto, March 3, 2026 – Spiraling violence in Haiti displaced about 500 children a day on average in 2025 with one in six children now uprooted from their homes and children as young as 10 being recruited by armed groups, Save the Children said.

Toronto, March 1, 2026 - Save the Children has called for the protection of all children and civilian infrastructure, especially schools and hospitals, following the escalation of violence in the Middle East and wider region, with reports of more than 100 children killed in strikes on two schools in Iran.

Toronto, February 25, 2026 – One in three people are facing severe food shortages in Somalia as worsening drought, conflict, and soaring food prices drive up hunger levels, with the situation nearly as bad as in 2022 when the country was on the brink of famine, Save the Children said. The drought follows four consecutive failed rainy seasons, which have exhausted food reserves in several regions, leaving 32% of the population facing hunger, according to new figures from global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).  The figures reveal that 6.5 million people, or just over a third of the population, are now experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity. This includes over 2 million people facing emergency levels of food insecurity, or Phase 4, the second-highest IPC level when urgent action is needed to save lives and livelihoods. The current food crisis mirrors Somalia’s devastating drought in 2022, when 6.7 million people were estimated to be facing acute food insecurity. The UN warned that people in three areas of southwest Somalia, including Baidoa and Burhakaba districts, faced famine between October and December without urgent assistance. As is the case today, the crisis then was driven by the longest, most severe drought in over 40 years, combined with conflict and high food prices.  The new data estimated that over 1.84 million children aged 6–59 months will be suffering from acute malnutrition by December 2026, including 483,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) that require urgent treatment. Save the Children said diseases are exacerbating acute malnutrition among children, with outbreaks of acute watery diarrhea, cholera, measles, and diphtheria in parts of southern and central regions of Somalia. Additionally, reduced humanitarian funding has reduced access to health and nutrition services, putting more children in danger. Mohamed Mohamud Hassan, Country Director for Save the Children in Somalia, said:   “When one in three people cannot access enough food to survive, it is a clear warning that the situation is rapidly sliding back toward the desperation we witnessed in 2022. “The international community stepped up then to prevent a famine. We need that same urgency today, before these rising levels of hunger become impossible to reverse.” Save the Children is calling on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding to meet the needs of over 6.5 million people requiring assistance, prioritise support for nutrition and health programs to prevent child deaths, invest in longer-term resilience programming, and ensure aid reaches the most affected populations. Save the Children has been working in Somalia since 1951, delivering life-saving health, nutrition, education and protection services.  ENDS

Toronto, 19 February 2026 - As families across Sudan marked the first day of Ramadan, children were reportedly among those killed in renewed violence, underscoring the urgent need for international action to protect children after nearly three years of war, Save the Children said.

Toronto, February 19, 2026 – Children in Ukraine have endured an average of about 4,000 hours of air raid alarms – equivalent to over 5.5 months of constant alerts – since the start of full-scale war in February 2022, with constant fear of attacks taking a severe toll on their mental health, Save the Children said. [1]

Toronto, February 19, 2026 – Crossing his paws to indicate danger, Chivas, the demining dog, has a rapt audience when he takes part in mine safety awareness sessions in Ukraine, the world’s most heavily mined country where one in every 10 landmine casualties is a child. 

Toronto, 19 February 2026 - Thousands of children who grew up in Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria face an uncertain future with the loss of essential protection and support systems as the camp is expected to close this week unless urgent action is taken, Save the Children said.

Toronto, 1 February 2026 – Only 12 patients a day on average have left Gaza for medical treatment in the 10 days since the Rafah border was partially opened, with reports of a seven-year-old boy dying this week while waiting to be evacuated for kidney treatment, Save the Children said.

Toronto, February5, 2026 – Armed gangs have looted and burnt down a Save the Children office and destroyed a healthcare centre in Walgak in South Sudan’s eastern Jonglei state where escalating violence in the past four weeks has displaced over 235,000 people, Save the Children said. Save the Children said it has suspended all operations in Walgak in Akobo Country and was pulling its 30 staff out of the area after its field office was burnt the ground and its Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) destroyed, cutting off essential services for hundreds of children and families. These attacks followed the seizure of four Save the Children vehicles last week. Save the Children confirmed that no staff had been injured in the attacks and no casualties reported so far among staff or members of the surrounding community although the numbers fleeing the violence were rising daily. Conflict has escalated significantly across South Sudan following renewed fighting since late December, particularly in Jonglei, the largest state in the country which is also one of the most food insecure parts of the country. Thousands of people have fled the areas and are arriving in surrounding areas with minimal water, sanitation and health services and in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. Save the Children has supplies ready to deliver when the impacted areas can be safely accessed. The United Nations has warned that the violence will significantly worsen food insecurity, particularly in northern Jonglei and Upper Nile states, and is exacerbating a cholera outbreak with treatment centres overwhelmed. Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children’s South Sudan Country Director, said the security situation was continuing to deteriorate despite sustained engagement with relevant authorities and community stakeholders. “We have had no choice but to indefinitely suspend our operations in Walgak following repeated attacks despite the impact this will have on so many families and children who rely on us for essential services. When aid facilities are attacked, it is civilians, especially children, who suffer the consequences. These actions are unacceptable and must stop. “Humanitarian assets must be protected. Attacks against aid organisations only deepen the suffering of already vulnerable communities.” Save the Children is calling on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease attacks on humanitarian infrastructure, respect international humanitarian law, and uphold their obligations to protect civilians and humanitarian actors. Safe, sustained, and unhindered humanitarian access must be guaranteed without delay. Save the Children has worked in South Sudan since 1991, currently with a workforce of about 350 staff providing children with access to education, healthcare and nutrition, and supporting families with food security and livelihoods assistance.

Toronto, 5 February 2026 – Two more areas of Sudan have fallen into famine-levels of malnutrition, signalling a deadly expansion of a hunger crisis in the conflict-torn country that is threatening millions, Save the Children said. 

Toronto, January 2026 – Critical supplies in Al-Hol camp are running dangerously low over a week since violence escalated in northeastern Syria, with ongoing clashes blocking the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, Save the Children said.   

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Toronto, January 27, 2026 – Children in Somalia are facing a catastrophic hunger crisis after four consecutive failed rainy seasons completely exhausted food reserves in several regions with the next few months critical to prevent avoidable deaths, Save the Children said.

Danny Glenwright recounts his trip to Mozambique with Save the Children’s Board of Directors to see how our work is impacting children.

Toronto, January 26, 2026 – Planned reopening of Rafah crossing after nearly two years renews hope in Gaza, Save the Children said. 

Toronto, January 26, 2026 - Heavy snowfall in Afghanistan is exacerbating health risks for thousands of children still living in tents in areas devasted by earthquakes five months ago, Save the Children said.

Toronto, January 23, 2026 – Professionals working in the social welfare, education, and healthcare sectors will have a duty to report suspected cases of child abuse came a new law that came into effect in Hong Kong this week, marking a critical new child protection milestone, said Save the Children. Under the new Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, 25 categories of specified professionals are now required to file a report as soon as practicable if, in the course of their work, they have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is suffering serious harm or is at real risk of serious harm. The law establishes an important safety net for identifying and intervening in child abuse cases, said Save the Children, with failure to comply with the mandatory reporting requirement constituting a criminal offense. Findings from Save the Children Hong Kong’s recently published report, “Children’s Views on Safety Within Organisations In Hong Kong”, found that half of the children surveyed said they did not have a trustworthy adult in the organisations they engaged with, and nearly one-third felt their opinions were not respected. This indicated a concerning lack of safeguarding culture, which may hinder children from reporting abuse. While welcoming the new law, Save the Children is calling for a strong safeguarding culture to be developed across Hong Kong to prevent abuse at its root and reinforce the protection that the law provides. In particular, the organisation is calling for the law to be expanded to include all front-line professionals who work with children, including sport coaches and religious leaders. Kalina Tsang, CEO of Save the Children Hong Kong, said:  “After years of campaigning for the introduction of a law to enshrine mandatory child abuse reporting in Hong Kong, we welcome the implementation of this landmark legislation. However, we caution that legislation alone is not enough to ensure children’s safety. “A strong safeguarding culture must be developed across society to prevent abuse at its root and reinforce the protection that the law provides.  “We urge the Government of Hong Kong to review the implementation of the law in due course and to actively consider expanding the mandatory reporting obligation to all professionals who work with children, such as front-line staff, private tutors, sports and activity coaches, and religious leaders. This would ensure a more comprehensive safety net for children. “We also strongly advocate embedding Child Safeguarding courses into relevant tertiary education programmes. This will equip future professionals in education, social welfare and healthcare sectors with child‑centred values and skills from the outset of their careers, fostering a stronger preventative culture across these fields. “We call on universities and training institutions to learn from successful local and international examples by integrating Child Safeguarding into their professional curricula, together fostering a safer and more caring environment for every child. "Finally, all child-facing organisations should establish and implement Child Safeguarding Policies, covering behavioral standards, measures in data protection and delivering safe programmes, reporting and handling of safety concerns, as well as monitoring and accountability mechanisms, to ensure children’s safety across all operations. “Child abuse in any form is one case too many. Save the Children will continue to work together with all sectors of society to create a safe, respectful and caring environment for every child, and advocate for the strong implementation of this important law.” In 2025, Save the Children Hong Kong’s Child Safeguarding Service delivered tailor-made workshops and policy guidance to 40 non-profit organisations, activity and education centres, and tertiary institutions – reaching nearly 600 participants – about the requirements of the new law, equipping frontline practitioners to comply with confidence. Established in 2009, Save the Children Hong Kong is part of the global movement which operates in about 100 countries. We work with children, families, communities, and our supporters to deliver lasting change for children in Hong Kong and around the world.

Toronto, January 22, 2026 – About 20,000 children in displacement camps and in facilities referred to as “rehabilitation” centres in northeastern Syria are at heightened risk as fighting intensifies and the situation remains fluid, with limited clarity on the security conditions affecting children and families, Save the Children said.

Toronto, January 22, 2026 – Millions of children in Sudan have missed nearly 500 days of learning since the war started in April 2023 in what has become one of the world’s longest school closures, surpassing the worst shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, Save the Children said.

Toronto, January 21, 2026 – Children forced from their homes in three refugee camps in the northern West Bank a year ago by Israeli forces are showing signs of mental deterioration including bedwetting, refusing to eat and declining academic performance, Save the Children said. 

Toronto, January 20, 2026 – Health workers in Madagascar are racing to contain a growing outbreak of the deadly mpox virus, with children and infants amongst the cases, said Save the Children. Madagascar confirmed its first documented outbreak of mpox on 30 December 2025, with cases progressively climbing over the past month to about 261 suspected cases and about 94 confirmed cases on 19 January, according to Ministry of Public Health. At this stage, 8 confirmed cases are involving children, and 84 suspected children’s cases have been reported, according to UNICEF. While the epidemic is primarily affecting adults in Madagascar - with a median age of suspected cases at 23 – children under the age of 5 are among the most vulnerable, according to the Madagascar Ministry of Public Health. In recent outbreaks of mpox in Africa, most notably in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2024, children were particularly impacted and nearly four times more likely to die from mpox than adults. Malnourished children in areas with poor sanitation and limited healthcare are at an even greater risk of contracting and succumbing to the virus. Children can end up at higher risk due to the close resemblance of some of the signs and symptoms of mpox to other common childhood illnesses – such as scabies and chickenpox – leading to late recognition and treatment and delayed diagnosis and treatment. In response to the outbreak, the Ministry of Public Health activated a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate the national response and has implemented a range of measures including the isolation of confirmed cases, contact tracing and monitoring, active case finding, and strengthening diagnostic capacities. Save the Children is running awareness sessions for communities and staff in the regions where it operates and is monitoring the developing outbreak. Tatiana Dasy, Save the Children’s Country Representative in Madagascar, said:  “The emergence of mpox in Madagascar represents a new public health challenge for the country. Although the number of confirmed cases remains limited at this stage, the likely presence of local transmission justifies increased vigilance, a coordinated response by health authorities, and active community involvement to prevent wider spread.  “We are particularly concerned about the potential impact on children, who are already among the confirmed and suspected cases. All over the world, children are disproportionately affected by mpox, and it is our responsibility to ensure their protection. Awareness and prompt response are critical step towards preventing the spread of mpox and safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our children, and we stand ready to work with health authorities and communities to stem this outbreak before it gets worse.”  Along with this latest disease outbreak, the humanitarian situation for Madagascar is rapidly deteriorating, with a combination of climate shocks, crop pests, locust attacks, and disease outbreaks creating a multi-layered humanitarian crisis. Food insecurity in the Grand Sud is worsening due to successive shocks such as drought, floods, and locust infestations, and acute malnutrition is increasing. Save the Children has been working in Madagascar since 2016 with programs on child protection, education, drought anticipatory action, livelihoods, combating child labor, and cash-based assistance.

Toronto, January 19, 2026 – Children injured in crisis and conflict zones will benefit from a new Save the Children investment in innovative prosthetics that can be fitted in a day at a time when explosive weapons are killing and maiming children on a scale never seen before, Save the Children said.  

Toronto, January 19, 2026 – Five thousand children are estimated to be among the 10,000 forced from their homes across northeastern Syria in a resurgence of clashes over recent days, Save the Children said [1]. Thousands have travelled long distances to camps and collective shelters that are already at capacity, with weeks of heavy rain flooding some sites.

Toronto, January 15, 2025 – Freezing temperatures of up to –20 degrees Celsius (-4F) have forced the closure of many schools across Ukraine so far this year, after a near doubling of attacks on energy infrastructure causes widespread power outages with a state of emergency declared today, Save the Children said.

Toronto, January 15, 2026 – Children in Gaza are being killed by collapsing buildings and freezing cold temperatures as tents that are the sole shelter for families are blown away in strong winds, Save the Children said.

Toronto, January 12, 2026 – Save the Children is calling on the Iranian authorities and all those involved in the unrest to immediately end the unlawful violence against children and uphold their obligations under international law, following UN and media reports that children have been killed, injured and detained in Iran. 

Toronto, January 8, 2026 – Children in Gaza have entered 2026 facing ongoing storms and flooding that have ripped tents and left them exposed to water-borne diseases with an urgent need for supplies to rebuild shelters, Save the Children said.

Mohamed Abdiladif, Country Director for Save the Children in Sudan, said: “For 1,000 days, a brutal conflict has engulfed Sudan, shattering families, destroying communities, and stealing the futures of an entire generation of children.  “Sudan’s children are paying the highest price. They are suffering unimaginable hardship. They are being killed in their homes, in health centres, in schools, in kindergartens – places that should be safe. They are being raped in horrifying numbers, including some just months old. They are being terrorized, starved, and forced to flee over and over again, living an unending nightmare. “Today, Sudan is facing the world's largest internal displacement crisis, and children make up the majority of those affected. Every minute on average, 8 people have been displaced from their homes. This is 11,000 people every single day. Over 1,000 days, nearly 12 million people have been displaced – roughly equivalent to the entire population of Belgium – and one fifth of the population. More than five million children have been displaced. Behind every statistic, is a child who has lost their home, their education, and often their family. “Displacement in Sudan means living in a squalid camp or a crowded hut, battling to get the most basic of resources, unsure of where your next meal will come from, or whether you will sleep safely overnight. This is not survival. It is hell. “We sometimes wonder that if the crisis in Sudan had occurred a decade ago, would the world have given it more of a thought? Have we, the international community, lost our moral compass, our compassion, our sense of indignation when such atrocities can be committed against children, women and families, at such scale? The silence is devastating - and it is failing Sudan’s children. “For the sake of the children of Sudan, and for my colleagues who workday in day out often at their own personal peril to support them, I believe we are better than this. We can and should act now for Sudan. We urge donors to allocate resources to support displaced families and urge leaders and negotiators to come to an agreement for peace in the country. Sudan must be free from war and allowed to rebuild. Sudan’s children deserve a future.” END

Toronto, January 7, 2026 – Amid a rise in violence in Aleppo, in the last 24 hours there has been a 17 times increase of people fleeing the city. Many families remain in the city with limited access to food, clothing, or heating in near-freezing temperatures. Save the Children is preparing to scale up our response and support displaced people and those unable to leave.

Toronto, December 24, 2025 - Save the Children is calling on the Government of Israel to urgently reconsider new registration rules for international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) that could undermine the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to children and their families in Gaza. Save the Children is among the INGOs that have been denied re-registration by Israeli authorities to continue providing humanitarian aid to Palestinian communities from 1 January 2026. Without registration, INGOs will be unable to get approval for international staff with technical expertise – including in health, water, sanitation – or to bring essential aid supplies across the Israeli-controlled borders into Gaza or the West Bank at a time when needs have never been greater. Despite these restrictions, Save the Children will continue to deliver lifesaving services through our 300 Palestinian staff and trusted local partners in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), where we are also registered with the Palestinian Authority. In 2025, with support from UN agencies and from our close to 30 donors, we reached about 1.9 million people across Gaza and the West Bank with multi-sector programming.  For more than two years, Gaza’s 1.1 million children have lived through an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe through no fault of their own. More than 20,000 children have been killed and thousands more missing, believed buried under rubble. Relentless bombardment has left much of Gaza in ruins, displacing nearly two million people now living in makeshift shelters and tents. Harsh winter conditions have added another layer of misery to the desperate situation with torrential rain and flooding destroying tents and leaving families wading through sewage-contaminated water, increasing the risk of disease. There have already been reports of babies dying of hypothermia in recent weeks – a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of blocking humanitarian aid. Children and their families desperately need warm clothing, shelter, blankets, food, medical supplies and hygiene materials. It is unconscionable to hinder humanitarian operations through a system that the UN has described as having vague and highly politicised criteria that imposes requirements humanitarian organisations cannot meet without violating international legal obligations or compromising core humanitarian principles. INGOs, working closely with the UN and Palestinian organisations, are central to humanitarian operations in the oPt, collectively delivering about US$1 billion in assistance each year. INGOs run or support the majority of field hospitals, primary healthcare centres, emergency shelter responses, water and sanitation services, nutrition stabilization centres for children with acute malnutrition, and critical mine action activities. “In conflict zones, children are the ones who suffer the most and it is our role as humanitarians to be there for them. These new registration rules will have a serious impact on access to essential and basic services and put lives at imminent risk, particularly during winter,” said Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s Regional Director for the MENA and East Europe. “Save the Children is an independent, impartial aid organisation with a mission to support children and families everywhere at times of need.  While we continue calling on the Government of Israel to reverse its decision and allow registration and full access for INGOs, one thing should be made very clear: We have served Palestinian children for over seven decades and we will continue to do so.” Since the denial of our re-registration nearly two months ago, Save the Children has been using all avenues to challenge this in legal proceedings and continues to do so. Since October 2023 Save the Children has supported 1.6 million people in Gaza, including 812,000 children, and 118,000 people in the West Bank, including 62,000 children. Save the Children is the third largest international provider of education in emergency services in the form of temporary learning spaces in Gaza and we are the largest INGO provider of cash and voucher assistance across the oPt. We delivered 23,287 life-saving items in Gaza between October and December this year, including 960 newborn baby kits, 4,100 hygiene kits, and 6,000 female hygiene kits. In addition, 6 pallets of medical items were successfully delivered. We are also procuring supplies locally within Gaza to distribute. In 2026, we will continue to deliver for children and their families in Gaza and the West Bank. We urge the international community to call on the Government of Israel not to impose this new registration system which represents another life-threatening blow to the people of Gaza. ENDS

Toronto, December 23, 2025 - Five deadly diseases for children – cholera, measles, malaria, tuberculosis and diarrhea - could witness major resurgences in 2026 as aid cuts, the climate crisis and conflict converge to reverse hard-won health gains, said Save the Children.  

Toronto, December 19, 2025 – Four out of every five children in Gaza will enter the new year still facing crisis levels of hunger, despite the agreement by Israeli authorities two months ago to allow more aid in, including food, said Save the Children following the release of new hunger data.  

Over the holiday season, some children might spend more time in front of screens, playing online games, on their devices or receive new videogames as presents.

Toronto, December 16, 2025 – More than one in three children are facing severe hunger in Afghanistan this winter - an increase of 18% from a year ago - underscoring the urgent need for increased aid as funding cuts put lifesaving nutrition work at risk, Save the Children said [1].  

Toronto, December 11, 2025 – About 8 million babies were born into crises such as conflict and climate disasters in 2025, with many mothers giving birth in tents, in ill-equipped displacement camps or communities hit by disasters, said Save the Children.  

Toronto, December 10, 2025 - Israel’s aid restrictions mean that severe winter weather is cutting children in Gaza off from much-needed child protection and psychosocial support services, Save the Children said, as storms began again today. 

Nadira, just 7 months old and the youngest of eight children, has already begun showing signs of malnutrition - this is her family's reality.

Explore how education, community resilience, and women-led farming initiatives are transforming futures for girls in Nepal.

Toronto, December 4, 2025 - Syrians returning home full of hope in the year since the conflict ended said they are struggling to rebuild their lives amid destroyed infrastructure, limited access to schools and healthcare, and a collapsing economy, Save the Children said. 

Toronto, December 4, 2025– From a ban on child marriage to disease-reducing mosquitos, here are 10 positive changes and outcomes for children that happened in 2025.

Dear Prime Minister Carney,

Toronto, December 1, 2025 – Tens of thousands of children are out of school in Indonesia and Thailand after floods and landslides killed at least 670 people and affected about 5 million, Save the Children said [1].

Toronto, November 24, 2025 - The number of attacks on schools, teachers and students in conflict zones has tripled in the past five years, despite a global declaration a decade ago to protect education in armed conflict, according to new Save the Children analysis. Even in the past week, two attacks in Nigeria have highlighted the ongoing vulnerability of schools to attack, with more than 300 children and staff kidnapped from a school in central Nigeria on Friday, and more than 20 schoolgirls kidnapped from a boarding school in neighboring Kebbi state on Monday. Save the Children’s analysis of UN data, released ahead of the fifth international conference on the Safe School Declaration in Kenya, showed that there were 2,445 attacks on schools in 2024 (the latest available year) compared to 790 in 2020 – an almost three-fold increase [1]. While the declaration is helping to protect education when implemented by governments, [2], the rising number of humanitarian crises globally risks depriving more children of their right to an education without fear of violence or attack, said Save the Children. Attacks on schools over the past five years included killing and abduction of teachers and students, airstrikes on schools, occupation of schools by armed groups, and sexual violence against students inside education facilities.  The Safe Schools Declaration is an inter-governmental political commitment aiming to protect education during armed conflict and, so far, has been signed by 121 states. The conference is seeking to mobilise renewed political will to protect education from attack. Ongoing analysis by the Global Coalition to Protect Education, an inter-agency coalition of UN agencies and NGOs including Save the Children working to protect education during armed conflict, suggests that reported attacks on education, including the military use of schools and universities, has continued to rise in 2025. Sudan is facing one of the worst education crises in the world following the eruption of conflict in April 2023 with most schools forced to close. This has left more than three quarters of Sudan’s 17 million school-age children out of school, with many increasingly unlikely to ever complete their studies - a crisis that could impact the futures of an entire generation of children. In Yemen, meanwhile, 11 years of conflict have left 3.2 million children – almost 1 in 3 - out of education, while at least 2,400 schools (15%) have been damaged or used as shelters for displaced populations. Salma*, from Taiz, Yemen, was a 6-year-old student attending first grade when the war broke out in 2015. Her family was among those unable to leave. Salma said: “Classes stopped across the city. Schools were no longer safe; some were shelled, others lay too close to the frontlines, including mine. We were out of school for six months. We studied in basements to avoid shelling. The rooms were dark, poorly ventilated, with no desks, no mats, no carpets—we sat on stones. There were no blackboards, so teachers dictated lessons. It was very difficult for us as young children to keep up with writing. “ Salma, now 16 and in secondary school, wants to be a doctor. “My message to decision-makers is to respect children’s right to education and give serious attention to our future by providing safe schools, protecting us from conflict, and making sure we can learn in a safe environment.” Save the Children is calling on leaders to make schools safe places for children and to   protect students, teachers and schools from attack during armed conflict and limit the use of schools for military purposes. Duncan Harvey, the Country Director of Save the Children Nigeria, said: “Tomorrow, Nigeria will join other countries at the Fifth International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration in Nairobi, Kenya.  The conference will mark a decade of global commitment to protect education during armed conflict and adopt the Nairobi Action Plan, a renewed roadmap to ensure schools remain safe havens for learning. These latest school kidnappings in Nigeria must be a wake-up call. Commitments on paper are not enough; children need protection now.” Chantal Mutamuriza, Save the Children’s Senior Advisor on Humanitarian & Education Advocacy, attending the conference in Kenya, said: “No child should ever have to choose between learning and staying alive. When a school is attacked, it’s not just walls that fall, a child’s safety, dreams, and future fall with them. Around the world, millions of children have seen their classrooms reduced to rubble, their books buried in dust, or their schools turned into shelters as they flee violence. “Over 120 governments have endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration. Some have already begun implementing it with inspiring practices that prove progress is possible.  Children need action. States everywhere need to endorse and implement this declaration and ensure accountability when education-related violations happen. Protecting schools means protecting futures, and when we fail to do so, the consequences last for generations." Save the Children supports the education of children around the world by providing safe learning spaces for those whose lives are shattered by conflict, where children can also access healthcare, vaccinations and mental health support.   Save the Children’s Safe Schools approach connects school and community interventions with policy, ensuring those living through conflict shape their own protection. ENDS *Named changed for anonymity Notes to Editors:  [1] Save the Children looked at annual reports by the UN Secretary on Children and Armed Conflict between 2020 and 2024. Unlike the annual UN reports on children and conflict, we have included verified incidents of military use of schools when we add up the grave violations in each year. [2] In 13 conflict-affected countries that endorsed the Declaration early on, reported incidents of military use of schools and universities fell by more than half between 2015 and 2020 from at least 180 cases to around 70. https://protectingeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/SSD-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Toronto, November 21, 2025 – A cargo plane carrying 40 metric tonnes of medical supplies landed in Port Sudan this week, with essential drugs, medical equipment and therapeutic food to treat children in Sudan, said Save the Children.  

Journey of Hope helps children struggling with emotions find their way back to safety, strength, and joy, through NRP programming.

Food insecurity has long been a challenge for many families in Constance Lake First Nation, making it difficult for families to find meals.

Children in Balochistan are now legally protected from early marriage after the province raised the legal age for marriage to 18.

Toronto, November 20, 2025 – Save the Children is proud to announce the winners of its second annual Global Media Awards 2025 on World Children’s Day, celebrating excellence in journalism focused on child rights and the dedicated journalists who bring these critical stories to light.

Less than a third of people needing food assistance in Somalia received support in October with worsening hunger crisis in the country.

Children in Gaza are sleeping on the bare ground with no shelter, in flimsy shorts and t-shirts that are sodden with sewage water.

One month after Gaza agreement to pause hostilities, children and families’ lives remain in limbo, with people unable to start repairs.

Crimes against children surge 30% as children are killed, maimed, sexually assaulted and abducted in record numbers in conflict zones.

A new climate resilience schools programme launched in South Sudan will help more than 200,000 school children to get an education.

Over 50% of children from South Sudan are expected to face hunger by mid-2026, due to a deadly mix of conflict, climate change and poverty.

Save the Children warns severe hunger in DRC will worsen, with 14 million children facing crisis levels by early 2026.

Umran*, 52, has worked in Sudan for 10 years supporting Save the Children’s programmes in El Fasher and in Zamzam camps.

An estimated 130,000 children, remain trapped inside El Fasher, Sudan - enduring famine-like conditions and a collapse of health services.

Children in Haiti and the Dominican Republic face grave risks as Hurricane Melissa devastates communities - this is how we're responding.

Save the Children responds to Canada’s 2025 federal budget, warning that aid cuts risk children’s safety, education, and global progress.

A second major earthquake in two months has struck Afghanistan. Save the Children is mobilizing emergency relief efforts.

INGOs condemn deadly attacks on Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers and urge all parties to protect humanitarian workers and civilians in Sudan.

After walking for four days to escape the escalating violence in El Fasher, mothers arriving in Tawila in desperate need of aid.

Toronto, October 24, 2025 – Nearly two-thirds of South Sudanese children surveyed aged between 5 and 17 years are engaged in the worst form of child labour, with rates soaring to as high as 90% in the worst hit regions, according to a new report by the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, and Save the Children.

Silvia took part in training led by local women’s rights organization, working with Early Childhood Education workers.

Toronto, October 22, 2025 – At least 17 children were killed and a further 22 injured in a particularly violent October in El Fasher, Sudan, said Save the Children, as the city marks 18 months of siege.  

In Gaza, families face rising malnutrition and the threat of famine. Learn how one mother's fight against hunger helped her child.

Toronto, October 16, 2025 – Of the around 118 million children plunged into hunger so far in 2025, around 63 million – over half - were forced into this situation by conflict as opposed to drought or environmental or economic pressures, according to a new data analysis by Save the Children on World Food Day. [1]  

Toronto, October 11, 2025 – About 167 million adolescent girls growing up in countries with the widest gender equality gaps are among those worst hit by this years’ aid cuts, with the massive fall in global aid having a disproportionate impact on countries where it is hardest to be a girl, according to Save the Children analysis.

From helping her sister get life-saving treament to championing education, Ayen embodies the spirit of the Day of the Girl.

Toronto, October 9, 2025 – Reports of an impending pause in hostilities in Gaza signals a hopeful reprieve on the horizon for families and children, but must be a turning point to secure a definitive ceasefire, said Save the Children.

Toronto, October 6, 2025 – Children whose parents were killed in Afghanistan’s devastating earthquakes a month ago are being cared for by their extended families who are reliant on aid with needs set to rise in coming months as winter sets in, Save the Children said.

 Toronto, October 2, 2025 –The sixth year of flooding in South Sudan combined with aid cuts is exacerbating one of the world’s worst hunger crises with newly arrived refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan resorting to foraging for food and eating leaves to survive, Save the Children said.

Journey of Hope, supported by SCC's NRP initiative, helps children struggling with emotions find their way back to safety, strength, and joy.

Toronto, September 25, 2025 - International non-governmental organizations working in Sudan express grave concern about the deteriorating situation in Al Fasher and reiterate urgent calls for immediate measures to protect civilians in and around the city. For over 14 months, the population in Al Fasher has endured relentless shelling and airstrikes, while being denied access to lifesaving humanitarian assistance, as warring parties vie for control of the strategic city, at the expense of civilian populations. Markets, hospitals, mosques, and displacement camps have been repeatedly targeted, leaving families without food, medicine, or safe shelter. Civilians attempting to flee face extortion, ethnic targeting, sexual violence, and killings along the routes, while prohibitive costs make escape impossible for most. Local responders and aid workers are under attack as they struggle to sustain communal kitchens and basic care. Local traders bringing in supplies face extortion, looting, attacks, and even executions. Sustained attacks, obstruction of aid and targeting of critical infrastructure demonstrate a deliberate strategy to break the civilian population through hunger, fear, and exhaustion. Despite repeated calls from humanitarian actors for all armed parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under International Humanitarian Law and allow civilians in Al Fasher access to critical humanitarian assistance, civilians remain trapped under siege and face imminent risk of mass atrocities. It is imperative that warring parties distinguish between civilian gathering sites and infrastructure - including hospitals, water tanks, places of worship and markets - from military targets, and to refrain from using weapons that risk indiscriminate harm to civilians, including drones. Parties must guarantee safe exit and passage out of the city for those that wish to leave, and allow life-saving aid and commodities to enter. Humanitarian workers and assets must not be targeted, and Parties must provide concrete guarantees for their safety. As world leaders convene in New York this week, we call on the UN Security Council and its member states, including those supporting Parties to the conflict, regional actors including the African Union, and donor governments, to act on our plea for concrete, monitored action to protect civilians in Al Fasher. This includes securing protection for civilians along escape routes leading out of the city and in areas of destination. Particular attention must be given to the specific risks faced by women, and young men. Parties must also facilitate the sustained influx of humanitarian and commercial supplies, with strong guarantees for the protection of humanitarian workers - including local responders, traders, and aid assets.

Toronto, September 24, 2025 – Nearly half of children aged under five in Somalia could face acute malnutrition by July 2026 due to a convergence of crises, leaving aid agencies struggling to cope as funding cuts reduce health and nutrition services, Save the Children said. Flash flooding, below-average rainfall, high food prices, and ongoing conflict have combined to drive hunger levels up 30% across Somalia, with the south worst hit, according to new figures from global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) . The figures reveal that 4.4 million people, or just under a quarter of the population, are now expected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity by the end of 2025. This includes over 921,000 people facing emergency levels of food insecurity or Phase 4, the second highest IPC level when urgent action is needed to save lives and livelihoods. The new data showed the number of children estimated to be suffering acute malnutrition could rise to 1.85 million children by July 2026, an increase of 9% from previous forecasts [1]. Save the Children said this severe deterioration in malnutrition is compounded global aid cuts reducing access to health and nutrition services, with insufficient vaccination coverage leading to an increase in diseases such as a current diphtheria outbreak. The closure of nutrition centres and health facilities—over a quarter of those supported by Save the Children—has left over 55,000 children without access to life-saving nutrition services since June. Binyam Gebru, Save the Children’s Acting Country Director for Somalia, said: “Somalia is embroiled in a protracted crisis, which is slowly grinding down the resilience of families and the wellbeing of children. Hunger – already at dire levels across Somalia - is on the rise, as climate shocks continue to wreak havoc, but it’s even worse this year because now we are facing massive funding cuts which are already having severe impacts on children. “We are already seeing more children arriving at our clinics in critical condition, and with fewer facilities open, many will have nowhere to turn. Not providing the funds that can help prevent extreme hunger is a political choice and one that needs to be reversed before it is too late for millions of children in Somalia.” Save the Children is calling on the international community and donors to urgently mobilize resources to restore and expand nutrition, health, and water services. Without immediate action, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Somali children hang in the balance. Save the Children has been working in Somalia since 1951, delivering life-saving health, nutrition, education, and protection services. In 2024, Save the Children reached 3.2 million people, including 1.9 million children across 17 regions in the country. ENDS   Notes to Editors: The IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Analysis for July–December 2025 was released on 23 September 2025. [1]According to the latest IPC report, 1.85 million children are estimated to be suffer acute malnutrition by July 2026, an increase of 9% from previous (1.7 million) forecasts This rise is attributed to reduced humanitarian funding, ongoing conflict, and climate-related shocks, which have worsened access to nutrition, health, and WASH services. https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1159551/ For Somalia, the total number of children under five years is 3,856,170 Therefore 1.85 million children estimated to suffer from acute malnutrition is 48% or nearly half of all children under five.

Toronto, September 24, 2025 – Children aged under five living in the world’s deadliest conflict zones are no closer to escaping hunger a decade after world leaders committed to ending child malnutrition, said Save the Children.

At 15, Messie from Sierra Leone has become a community champion, challenging harmful practices and empowering girls to speak up.

Toronto, September 2025 – Bolivia has become the 14th country in Latin America to ban child marriage after girls across the country and Save the Children joined a campaign to criminalise the practice.

Going to school is one of the most powerful tools for breaking cycles of poverty and inequality, yet for millions of girls it's inaccessible.

Toronto, September 18, 2025 – The international community has disregarded the lives of one million children in Gaza yet again with the failure of the UN Security Council to pass another ceasefire resolution today, Save the Children said.   The vote took place just days after the UN Commission of Inquiry found that the Government of Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, and as Israeli forces launched a ground offensive in Gaza City. This follows weeks of bombardment of the city and displacement orders forcing nearly one million people already facing famine to flee south to ever shrinking and overcrowded patches of land.  Ahmad Alhendawi, Regional Director for Save the Children in the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe said:   “Just two days ago, a UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that genocide is being committed in Gaza. What we are witnessing on the ground is consistent with these findings.   “These findings are among the clearest legal assessments yet, but Israeli forces are still tightening their grip on Gaza City—killing, starving, and displacing children and families. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council and Israel’s allies remain unwilling to act.  “It is clearer now than ever before that not only the Government of Israel but also the international community has the moral and legal responsibility to stop this. If now is not the moment, when is?  “We call on the UN Security Council to reconvene without delay and to continue meeting—day after day if necessary—until it fulfils its moral and legal obligations to secure a ceasefire and guarantee humanitarian access for children.”   ENDS 

Danny Glenwright visited South Sudan to see how Save the Children together with local partners, is supporting families amid a complex crisis.

Toronto, September 16, 2025: The leaders of over 20 major aid agencies working in Gaza are calling for urgent intervention after a UN commission concluded, for the first time, that genocide is being committed. The statement is below: “As world leaders convene next week at the United Nations, we are calling on all member states to act in accordance with the mandate the UN was charged with 80 years ago.    What we are witnessing in Gaza is not only an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, but what the UN Commission of Inquiry has now concluded is a genocide. With this finding, the Commission joins a growing number of human rights organisations and leaders globally, and within Israel. The inhumanity of the situation in Gaza is unconscionable. As humanitarian leaders,  we have borne direct witness to the horrifying deaths and suffering of the people of Gaza. Our warnings have gone unheeded and thousands more lives are still at stake. Now, as the Israeli government has ordered the mass displacement of Gaza City – home to nearly one million people – we are on the precipice of an even deadlier period in Gaza’s story if action is not taken. Gaza has been deliberately made uninhabitable.   About 65,000 Palestinians have now been killed, including more than 20,000 children. Thousands more are missing, buried under the rubble that has replaced Gaza’s once lively streets.

More than three quarters of Sudan’s school-age children are at home or in temporary shelters as children across Europe and North America.

Nearly 1,200 children have been killed in the devastating earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan with thousands left without homes.

The equivalent of about 150 classrooms of children have been killed or injured in Ukraine since the start of full-scale war.

Palestinian children are more than numbers. Join Let Children Live and stand for their right to hope, safety, and a peaceful future.

At least one Palestinian child has been killed every hour on average by Israeli forces in Gaza over nearly 23 months of war.

Villagers in a remote village in Sudan are using their hands to try to reach people buried in a landslide six days ago.

Afghanistan was hit by yet another earthquake overnight and aid agencies continue to try to access hard-to-reach areas.

Aftershocks in eastern Afghanistan are terrifying children who have lost families and homes in the Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake.

The number of children and women treated for sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) surged four-fold.

Almost one million people, including children, have been evacuated from their homes in Pakistan’s most populous province, amid deadly floods.

Thousands of children are in urgent need of food, water and shelter in eastern Afghanistan as death toll rises.

Rescue teams are racing to Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan where hundreds of people are dead after a devastating earthquake.

At least four countries in Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan, are expected to run out of ready-to-use emergency food.

A statement from Save the Children International CEO Inger Ashing to the UN Security Council on Wednesday 27 August.

Save the Children opened its first national office in Syria on Monday, ending 13 years of management from Jordan, Türkiye and Lebanon.

At least 132,000 children aged under five in Gaza are at risk of death from acute malnutrition as new data confirms famine in Gaza.

On World Humanitarian Day, we recognise first responders and those who courageously lead the response when disaster strikes.

World Humanitarian Day - an average of one humanitarian worker has been killed, injured, kidnapped or detained every day since 2000.

Nurse Becky Platt shares her experiences treating injured children in Rafah, Gaza and highlighting their urgent need for shelter.

Despite claims by Israeli authorities that there is no limit on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, Israel threatens to ban aid organizations.

The reported deaths of 100 children starved to death in Gaza since October 2023 is a devastating milestone that shames the world.

More than 4 in 10 (43%) pregnant and breastfeeding women seeking treatment at Save the Children’s clinics in Gaza in July were malnourished.

We're honored to be one of 13 humanitarian organizations receiving support from The Slaight Family Foundation.

The number of children under-five with acute malnutrition seen at Save the Children’s Gaza clinics surged 10-fold in four months.

Charity Lukaya is the Humanitarian Director for Save the Children in Afghanistan, reporting on the situation at the Afghanistan/Iran border.

Toronto, July 28, 2025 - In response to a temporary humanitarian pause to allow aid into Gaza, Save the Children warns that only a permanent and unconditional ceasefire can truly save children’s lives.

Toronto, July 25, 2025 - Global apparel retailer UNIQLO today announces the worldwide release of four new designs for its ongoing PEACE FOR ALL charity T-shirt project. The PEACE FOR ALL project features UNIQLO graphic T-shirts with designs expressing a wish for peace, provided voluntarily by collaborators with close ties to UNIQLO who support the aim of "take action with a desire for world peace." All profits from the T-shirt sales are donated to international humanitarian organizations, including Save the Children. The latest items will be available from Friday, September 26th.

Toronto, July 25, 2025 –  The combined number of cases of five infectious diseases have doubled in Somalia since mid-April as aid cuts force hundreds of health clinics to close, with children under five the worst impacted, Save the Children said.  Since April cases of measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, cholera and severe respiratory infections have doubled from about 22,600 to over 46,000 [1], with children under five representing around 60% of cases [2]. At least 357 new suspected cases of measles, diphtheria or cholera – all of which can be prevented by vaccines - were reported among under-fives in the past week alone, according to the Ministry of Health. So far this year, Somalia has reported 6,267 suspected cases of cholera, with 60% (3,739) among under-fives. At least eight people are known to have died from the illness including five children under five. The measles outbreak has also hit children under five hardest, with the youngest children accounting for an estimated 75% of 5,436 reported cases. In Somalia, the sharp rise in vaccine preventable diseases is linked to the recent aid cuts, which have impacted the health system’s capacity to deliver essential services, including routine immunization, and to treat and run catch-up campaigns to increase the immunity necessary to halt the outbreak. Save the Children said these outbreaks are compounding existing humanitarian challenges such as malnutrition with overcrowding in camps for displaced people and limited access to healthcare. Overstretched health facilities and misinformation and stigma regarding some healthcare are further exacerbating the crisis.  In May, Save the Children reported at least 55,000 children supported by the aid agency in Somalia [3] will lose access to lifesaving nutrition services, as aid cuts have forced about 47, or one third, of Save the Children-supported nutrition services to close.   Besides nutrition, these clinics provided other health services, and their closure means families and children are going without critical health services including immunization. The aid agency is warning that the reduced capacity of the health system to respond to outbreaks is likely to cause frequent and deadly outbreaks, in a scale not seen before in Somalia. Save the Children's Country Director for Somalia, Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, said:  “The neglect of the health system in Somalia due to aid cuts is directly impacting children. Already children have died of diseases we have treated and kept at bay in the past. Unless the aid cuts are reversed and more resources put in place to support the health system we are worried the situation will rapidly deteriorate, placing immense strain on vulnerable communities, particularly children under five. “Somalia remains one of the countries with the highest number of zero-dose children in sub-Saharan Africa. The funding cuts have not only disrupted immunization programs but have also weakened the ability of health partners to respond effectively to ongoing and emerging outbreaks. “Equally alarming is the spread of a SARI (severe acute respiratory infections) and influenza-like illness. Due to limited laboratory capacity, the country is currently unable to identify the specific viral agent responsible for this respiratory outbreak, which adds to the complexity of the response. “We are urgently calling for sustained investment in Somalia’s health system, particularly in surveillance, immunization, outbreak response and as well as increasing access to primary health care service to put an end to the disease outbreaks and keep children alive.” With the impact of aid cuts already being felt by families and children across Somalia, the situation is projected to get worse with countries in Africa forecast to be impacted the most by global aid cuts as the OECD projects a drop of between 9-17% in official development assistance (ODA) in 2025 – the third consecutive year of decline. This will impact many of about 300 million people reliant on ODA as a source of emergency relief and as a promise of a better future through education, healthcare and economic opportunities. Save the Children is actively engaged in national disease surveillance, prevention, and response efforts. We are supporting health facilities in hotspot regions such as Banadir, Bay and Mudug through case identification, referral, and treatment. A disease outbreak is the occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season, according to the WHO.  Save the Children has been working in Somalia and Somaliland since 1951 and has programmes throughout the country which support children’s healthcare, education and food needs. Last year we reached 3.2 million people, including 1.9 million children.   ENDS Notes to Editors:    [1] Case numbers of measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, cholera and severe respiratory infections. taken from the Federal Government of Somalia Ministry of Health ISDR Epidemiology bulletins. The latest data covers reporting week 28 (7 to 13 July) and is compared with data from around 3 months ago (week 14), which covers 31 March to 6 April.  [2] While weekly cases of illnesses among children under 5 are available in these bulletins, the cumulative number of cases for 2025 among children under 5 is only available for cholera. To estimate cases among children under 5 for other illnesses addressed in this PR, Save the Children used the available data on share of cases of measles, diphtheria and severe acute respiratory illness among under 5s for weeks 14 and 28 and took an average across these two weeks to estimate the cumulative number of cases among those under 5 in 2025. No age breakdown data was available for whooping cough, which is therefore excluded from the 60% estimation.  [3] According to a Save the Children internal analysis of impacted projects. The total children that could be affected as a result of funding cuts to Save the Children and other partners is at least 290,000.  

Toronto, July 23, 2025 - As the Israeli government’s siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families. With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organisations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes.

Toronto, July 2025 – More children were displaced in the West Bank during the first six months of 2025 due to the demolitions of their homes ordered by Israeli authorities compared to any other first half year period since records began, according to new Save the Children analysis.

Toronto, July 21, 2025 - Save the Children welcomes the joint statement issued today by the Government of Canada and 25 international partners calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza. The unified global message is clear: the suffering must stop, and international humanitarian law must be upheld. 

Toronto, July 21, 2025 – Families in Syria’s Sweida Governorate are trapped without medical care, clean water or enough food after fighting closed hospitals, cut off roads and broken water systems, said Save the Children, calling for immediate safe access for aid.

Amid the challenging conditions of life in Cox's Bazar, three young men are emerging as powerful agents of change.

Toronto, July 10, 2025 – Nicholas Hoult, actor and longtime supporter of Save the Children, has surprised children at a play project in London UK, as he becomes the charity’s newest celebrity ambassador, just a day after attending a fan event for his latest film, Superman.

Toronto, July 10, 2025 – Hundreds of children have recounted harrowing stories of terror and loss after their homes in Sudan’s North Darfur region were attacked, with many telling Save the Children how they lost contact with friends and loved ones [1].

Toronto, July 9, 2025 - Fuel shortages in Gaza could cut off supplies of clean drinking water to about 44,000 children supported by Save the Children in a matter of days, increasing the risk of waterborne illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery, with these children only a small number of those impacted by fuel running out.

Toronto, July 4, 2025 – Nearly 1,000 people have been killed so far this year in Sudan while seeking health care or visiting loved ones in hospital, with attacks on hospitals nearly tripling after two years of conflict [1] and exacerbating a cholera outbreak, Save the Children said.

Toronto, July 2, 2025 – About 80,000 Afghan children crossed into Afghanistan from Iran in June, as total arrivals more than doubled compared to May, pushing an already overstretched system to the brink, Save the Children said.

Toronto, July 2, 2025 - 160+ NGOs call for immediate action to end the deadly Israeli distribution scheme (including the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) in Gaza, revert to the existing UN-led coordination mechanisms, and lift the Israeli government’s blockade on aid and commercial supplies. The 400 aid distribution points operating during the temporary ceasefire across Gaza have now been replaced by just four military-controlled distribution sites, forcing two million people into overcrowded, militarized zones where they face daily gunfire and mass casualties while trying to access food and are denied other life-saving supplies.

Toronto, June 26, 2025 - Children have been killed or injured in more than half of the fatal attacks at food distribution sites in Gaza since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operating four weeks ago, said Save the Children.  Save the Children analyzed reports from the Gaza Media Office and the UN on the number and type of casualties at GHF and other aid distribution points since 27 May 2025, and found in 19 deadly incidents reported, children were among the casualties in 10 of them– or more than half of all incidents [1]. Some families in Gaza are so desperate – in some cases due to a lack of a healthy adult - that they are sending children to collect food at distribution points, unavoidably exposing them to the risk of being shot by Israeli forces, said Save the Children. Since 27 May, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed and at least 3,000 injured by Israeli forces while trying to access aid, either at or on route to GHF distribution points, or while attempting to approach the very few other aid convoys delivered by the UN or NGOs, according to OHCHR. Save the Children staff in Gaza say family members and neighbors have witnessed or experienced carnage at the distribution sites over the past month. Save the Children staffer Mohamed* said his neighbor, a father of four, had no choice but to go to a distribution as his family had run out of food and money. He went to Rafah and was shot and killed. Mohamad is now trying to help his neighbor's widow; he says she is now destitute and traumatized – her children crying all the time. Another staffer, Abdallah*, said that a member of his extended family went to a distribution site this month and witnessed a man shot and left bleeding on the ground. He said people were running over the injured man, trying to get to the food, with no one able to stop and help. Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, Ahmad Alhendawi, said:    “No-one wants to get aid from these distribution points and who can blame them – it's a death sentence. People are terrified of being killed. One colleague told us today that even though his family is down to eating one meal a day, he won’t go to a GHF distribution, because he believes his life is worth more than a bag of flour. “And to add to the dystopian horror show, children are also being killed and injured trying to reach aid – aid they have a right to. Other families tell us they are now too weak to compete to pick up food. What is happening here is nothing short of abhorrent.  “No child should be killed searching for food. This is not a humanitarian operation – it’s a death trap. Forcing civilians into fenced-in zones only for them to be gunned down is the opposite of humanitarian – it’s inhumane. And it is not the only option. There is an established humanitarian aid system which must be allowed to function. States have a choice. They can’t undo the past, but they can act now – to stop this, uphold international law, and let experienced humanitarian organisations deliver aid safely and with dignity. A party to conflict cannot be allowed to continue weaponizing aid, humanitarian access, and starvation.” The Government of Israel continues to maintain a siege on the majority of lifesaving supplies and commercial goods entering Gaza, creating a situation termed by UN officials as ‘engineered scarcity.’ While death and injury remain the primary risks for children at these distribution sites, the UN has reported additional risks including separation from families. Save the Children is running a primary healthcare centre in Deir Al-Balah, providing essential services to children, mothers, and families, including screening and treatment for malnutrition. Our teams deliver lifesaving water, run child-friendly spaces that offer safe places for children to play and receive psychosocial support, and set up temporary learning centres to help children continue their education during the crisis. Since the collapse of the pause on March 18, it has become extremely difficult for our staff to deliver these vital services, despite the colossal needs. *Names changed to protect identities ENDS

Toronto, June 25, 2025 – Funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is needed now more than ever, says Save the Children, as donors, public and private partners and civil society meet today at Gavi's High-Level Pledging Summit. The summit seeks to raise at least US$ 9 billion from donors to protect 500 million children and save at least 8 million lives from 2026–2030. Save the Children CEO Inger Ashing said:  “In a world beset by bad news, vaccines have been a shining light of hope and human progress. For more than two centuries, scientists, doctors and communities have built on knowledge and experience to help children and adults live longer and better lives. In the past 50 years, vaccines have already saved more than 154 million people and substantially reduced the global burden of infectious diseases. It’s public health’s best buy – with proven results. Yet this incredible work is under serious threat. “This week leaders are meeting to decide how much to fund Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Save the Children joins more than 150 organizations around the world calling for an urgent and deeply needed injection of funds for its critical work.   “Gavi has been one of the most effective investments in public health in modern history. In the last 25 years, the alliance has helped immunise more than a billion children. Gavi supports the rollout of vaccines for everything from measles to polio to Ebola and is playing a crucial role in rolling out the first malaria vaccine. In doing so, it not only saves lives but builds up national health systems, strengthens pandemic preparedness and helps protect us all from the spread of infectious disease. “At Save the Children, we’re working with national governments and local communities – for example in Malawi where a recent cholera outbreak killed more than 1,700 people – to make sure children are protected from deadly and debilitating illness. With our private sector partner GSK, we are targeting millions of ‘zero-dose’ children - those who are completely unvaccinated - in Nigeria and Ethiopia. “All this would be immeasurably harder to do without Gavi ensuring that vaccines are affordable in large enough quantities for the most vulnerable populations. To keep up global funding of Gavi should be one of the most straightforward decisions governments must make. Vaccination makes all of us safer.” Save the Children said that with an ambitious increase in funding, Gavi will be able to invest in the strengthening of health systems and delivery of more vaccines for children, with a focus on children who have never received a single jab, and those who are under-immunized, as well as those in fragile settings and conflict zones or places at high risk to climate change impacts. END.

Here are five ways you can support Indigenous communities and their history while celebrating Indigenous History month.

Toronto, June 24, 2025 — Actress and Save the Children Trustee Jennifer Garner has gone the extra mile for kids – 67 to be exact – in support of Save the Children’s efforts to bring life-saving malnutrition treatment to children who urgently need it now. Through the #67Strong4Kids campaign, she ran a mile per day for 67 straight days – a fundraising challenge to raise awareness for the US$67 it costs to provide a full, six-week course of therapeutic food that can save the life of a severely malnourished child – and elite runner Becs Gentry has joined her along the way.

Toronto, June 23, 2025 – The number of children reporting sexual assault after fleeing into Burundi to escape violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has more than tripled this year with aid cuts dramatically reducing the support available, said Save the Children. Between January and June this year, Save the Children staff in Burundi recorded over 478 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) including over 172 against children, most of them rape cases, which was a 249% increase from a year ago.  More than one million people have been displaced by violence in DRC this year as the conflict dramatically escalated, including over 41,000 who have fled to Burundi, according to the UN. More than 65% of the GBV cases managed by Save the Children involve rape, along with psychological abuse and physical violence, the aid agency said, with horrifying stories of children being raped together with their parents and mothers being raped in front of their children. However, major cuts to aid supporting refugees from the DRC have curtailed the ability of humanitarian agencies to help the thousands of children housed in reception centres on arrival and refugee sites, putting their safety and wellbeing at risk. Normally survivors of gender-based violence would receive dignity and hygiene items including diapers, pads, underpants and soap, however the aid cuts mean not everyone is now receiving these essential items, said Save the Children. Due to the conflict, more than 500 children have arrived this year separated from their families, with about 300 unaccompanied children requiring services to trace their families and reunite them. Save the Children staff in Burundi said children who have faced sexual violence are in dire need of psychological support to overcome the trauma and are at risk of low self-esteem, self-blame, isolation, stigmatization and discrimination without help. Rita*, a 16-year-old girl living in a refugee camp in eastern Burundi, told Save the Children: “Before arriving in Burundi, my mother, my siblings and I spent several days hiding in the mountains near our village. Some days we would return home from the bushes when the sound of gunfire went down but go back to the forest in the evening. One evening we decided to stay in the house and that’s when it happened. Armed men entered our house and raped me, my sister and my mother. We then decided to flee the next day. It is very hard to look my mother in eye after what happened but also very difficult for our mother to talk to us about it.” Nadege Nizigama, Save the Children’s Child Protection and GBV case worker for Burundi, said:   “I speak to children who have faced various forms of abuse including rape and forced marriages. At the moment, I have two girls and one boy who are undergoing psychosocial support after experiencing rape while fleeing the conflict earlier this year. For the last few months, I have heard horrifying stories of children being raped together with their parents and mothers being raped in front of their children. No child should be subjected to this kind of violence. We are doing our best to provide all the support we can to help the children overcome their trauma but more needs to be done to restore the children’s wellbeing and strengthen their resilience.” Geoffrey Kirenga, Save the Children’s Head of Mission in Burundi, said:  “Conflict related sexual violence has long been used as a tool of war to intimidate and terrorize civilians. The impact on children is devastating, and my team witness this daily. Save the Children's work in Burundi reveals critical child protection concerns and survivors need to receive medical care and protection.  “Tragically we know the number of cases we have registered is just a drop in the ocean.  Children and community members often don’t report cases of severe violations because of fear of being victimized. It’s a tragic situation. “The impact of aid cuts is huge, considering the degree of vulnerability of our beneficiaries. Most of the families we are supporting have faced psychological trauma due to conflict and many left their homes with nothing. The funding gaps we’re now facing could force us to close down programs that are a lifeline to children and families in dire need. We are calling on the international community not to abandon these children at a time when they need them most.” Save the Children has been working in Burundi since 2016 providing services in child protection, prevention and response to gender-based violence, health, child right governance and education. We have a team in Burundi assisting thousands of displaced children and their families. Ends  

Toronto, June 20, 2025 – The number of children subjected to catastrophic and life-changing sexual violence in conflict soared to at least 1,938 cases in 2024, with the verified number of cases the highest since records began and up 50% since 2020, said Save the Children [1].  The latest United Nations Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, released today, found rape and other forms of sexual violence against children increased by 35% in 2024, with cases of gang rape rising dramatically.  Haiti had the highest number of cases of verified sexual violence against children (566), followed by Nigeria (419), the Democratic Republic of Congo (358) and Somalia (267).   However, the number of actual cases of sexual violence against children is understood to be vastly underreported due to stigmatization, fear of reprisals, harmful social norms, the absence or lack of access to services, impunity, and safety concerns.   The UN report said violence against children in armed conflict reached the highest levels ever recorded in 2024, rising 25% to 41,370 violations.   The violations verified in the greatest numbers were the killing and maiming of 11,967 children, with the highest numbers of grave violations verified in the occupied Palestinian territory (8,544), the DRC (4,043), Somalia (2,568), Nigeria (2,436) and Haiti (2,269). These violations – crimes against children in conflict zones - include killing, maiming and abduction, sexual violence, recruitment into armed groups, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access to children.  These findings have far-reaching implications, said Save the Children, with the consequences of violence against children in conflict and sexual violence in particular being catastrophic – physically, psychologically and socially.  Sexual violence against children fundamentally undermines their futures, with child survivors often left with serious physical injuries, which can be particularly severe because their growing bodies are not yet fully developed. Damage to children’s reproductive systems can leave them incontinent, infertile and condemned to a lifetime of bleeding and pain, and they are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections.  Girls who become pregnant can suffer life-threatening complications during childbirth, will often be forced to drop out of school, and can face social exclusion and stigmatisation. The scale and gravity of sexual violence against children in armed conflict calls for immediate and concerted action by the UN, states, donors and the humanitarian community to meet their obligations to ensure children are safe from harm, said Save the Children.  Rebecca*, 16, was raped in July 2024 in eastern DRC. She received support from Save the Children. She told our staff:   “One day, when we went out to look for firewood in the bush, we fell into the hands of armed, hooded men who raped us. We had no one to come to our aid, even though we screamed in the bush! When I got home, I remained calm and didn't talk to anyone. I decided not to go to the hospital because I was afraid and ashamed.” Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International, said:   “We must never turn our back on humanity. When children are allowed to suffer relentless violence in the name of war, we all share the blame – and we all share a responsibility to make the suffering stop. The horrors children are being subjected to in war are increasing dramatically year-on-year, a trend which reveals a persistent and blatant lack of respect for the special protections afforded to children.    “Sexual violence against children in conflict is a crime which once took place in the shadows but is now more and more becoming used as an overt tactic of war. Sexual violence in conflict must be treated with the same gravity as guns and bombs. No one should have to endure the pain and humiliation of rape and sexual exploitation and violence, and it is particularly deplorable when a child is subjected to this brutality.  “States must take action. They need to uphold standards of conduct in conflict – particularly and most critically when it comes to the treatment of children. They have a legal and moral responsibility to call out the perpetrators of violence against children in conflict – and they have a duty to fund the programmes that protect them and treat and help the survivors. The future of millions of children depends on immediate and decisive global action.” Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, Save the Children’s Country Director in Haiti, said:  “Haiti is currently one of the world’s most dangerous places for children. Children in Haiti are continuously experiencing grave violations yet living in the global shadows. Every girl and boy in Haiti deserve to live free from the fear of sexual violence. Stronger protections must urgently be put in place to ensure this gruesome trend does not continue.  Many are living in overcrowded camps, where aid is limited, and the dangers of sexual violence, abuse, and recruitment by armed groups are rampant. Right now, children across Haiti need safety, protection, and access to child-friendly services. The world needs to wake up and see what’s unfolding in the country.”  NOTES:  [1] Analysis by Save the Children of the 2021 - 2025 United Nations annual reports of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, based on data reported and verified in the previous year. Number of Verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated against children: 2025 report for 2024 figures – 1,938 cases; 2024 report for 2023 figures - 1,470 cases; 2023 report for 2022 figures – 1,165 cases; 2022 report for 2021 figures -  1,326 cases; 2021 report for 2020 figures - 1,268 cases [2] The six grave violations against children: the UN Security Council has identified six grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict: killing and maiming of children; recruitment or use of children in armed forces and groups; rape and other forms of sexual violence against children; abduction of children; attacks against schools and hospitals; and denial of humanitarian access to children. These grave violations were defined on the basis of their egregious nature and their severe impact on children’s wellbeing. In addition to the six violations, the annual UN has verified cases of detention of children since 2012 and presented them in the report.

If there was ever a time for Canada to step up as a champion of gender equality, human rights, peace, and international assistance—it is now

Toronto, June 16, 2025 – Children across the Middle East are in grave danger of physical harm, severe emotional distress, and displacement, following an escalation in hostilities in the region, said Save the Children.

Toronto, June 13, 2025 – A deadly mix of conflict, climate change and poverty have pushed 2.3 million children aged under 5 in South Sudan into life threatening acute malnutrition, with rates soaring just months after foreign governments announced the slashing of funds to the world’s poorest countries, Save the Children said.

Toronto, June 11, 2025 – About one in six children in Haiti are now internally displaced due to armed violence following a 24% increase in the number of people forced from their homes in the past six months, Save the Children said.   An analysis of the latest displacement figures showed that nearly 700,000 children are now displaced in Haiti. The total number of internally displaced people has reached nearly 1.3 million, or about one in nine people in the country, since December 2024, an all-time high in numbers displaced by violence, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).   Displaced children and their families are living in overcrowded schools-turned-shelters, often without adequate clean water, food, or protection.    It has been 15 months since Haiti declared a state of emergency in March 2024 due to escalating violence and lawlessness in the country, particularly in Port-au-Prince, where armed groups have seized control of all major roads into and leading out of the city.  Armed groups also now control the city of Mirebalais in Haiti’s Plateau Central department. Save the Children is warning that this surge in displacement could push more children into the hands of armed groups, being caught in the crossfire with police, or at greater risk of abuse and exploitation.  Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, Save the Children’s Country Director in Haiti, said:  “Children in Haiti are currently living in a nightmare they can’t escape. One in six children have been forced from their homes and the comfort of their beds. Many are living in overcrowded camps, where aid is limited, and the dangers of sexual violence, abuse, and recruitment by armed groups are rampant. Right now, children across Haiti need safety, protection, and access to child-friendly services. The world needs to wake up and see what’s unfolding in the country.”  The only way to truly protect children’s lives is to halt this violence and for all parties to do everything in their power to de-escalate the situation immediately, said Save the Children. Life-saving humanitarian assistance and aid workers must be allowed to reach those in need without delay, and the international community must urgently increase humanitarian funding for Haiti.       Save the Children has provided cash assistance for displaced families in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince living in schools-turned-shelters to find more dignified housing solutions while helping to free up schools to resume educational activities, and cash assistance to host families in the Grand’Anse, South and North East department. The child rights organisation is also working through local partners in Haiti’s West, Grand’Anse, and South departments to provide access to quality education and psychosocial support to students.   Save the Children has been working in Haiti since 1978, in both urban and rural communities.    ENDS   Notes to Editor:  ·       According to a recently published Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 1.3 million people are now internally displaced in Haiti, a 24% increase since December 2024. About 53% of internally displaced people are estimated to be children; this equals nearly 700,000, or about one in six children in the country. The child population of Haiti is estimated to be about 4.3 million 

Toronto, June 7,  2025 —In response to the new hub system for aid distribution in Gaza, Save the Children President & CEO Danny Glenwright said:

Toronto, June 5, 2025 - About one in five children in Afghanistan could face crisis levels of hunger before October, with funding cuts reducing the amount of food aid available for families, Save the Children said.

Toronto,  June 4, 2025 - This week marks one year since dozens of personnel from the United Nations, non-governmental and civil society organisations, and diplomatic missions were arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities in northern Yemen. Others have been detained since as far back as 2021. Today, we reiterate our urgent demand for their immediate and unconditional release. As of today, 23 UN and five international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) personnel remain arbitrarily detained. Tragically, one UN staff member and another from Save the Children have died in detention. Others have lost loved ones while being held, denied the chance to attend their funerals or say goodbye. Our arbitrarily detained colleagues have spent at least 365 days - and for some, over 1,000 days – isolated from their families, children, husbands, and wives, in flagrant breach of international law. The toll of this detention is also weighing heavily on their families, who continue to endure the unbearable pain of absence and uncertainty as they face another Eid without their loved one. Nothing can justify their ordeal. They were doing their jobs, helping people in desperate need: people without food, shelter, or adequate healthcare. Yemen remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with over 19 million people – about half the population - in need of humanitarian assistance, many of whom rely on it for survival. A safe and enabling operating environment for humanitarian operations, including the release of detained personnel, is essential to maintaining and restoring assistance to those in need. Humanitarian workers should never be targeted or detained while carrying out their mandates to serve the people of Yemen. The prolonged detention of our colleagues has a chilling effect across the international community, undermining support for Yemen and hindering humanitarian response. It has also undermined mediation efforts for lasting peace. We acknowledge the release in 2024 of one UN and two NGO personnel and the recent release of an Embassy staff member. We call on the de facto authorities to deliver on their previous commitments, including those made to the Director-General of the World Health Organization during his mission to Sana'a in December 2024. The UN and INGOs will continue to work through all possible channels to secure the safe and immediate release of those arbitrarily detained. Signatories:

Toronto, June 2, 2025 – The killing of people seeking food parcels in Gaza is a blatant and shocking disregard of international humanitarian law, said Save the Children, calling for an immediate halt to the militarisation of aid and safe access to humanitarian aid for children and families.

SCC is calling for the Canadian government to speak out and stand firm in defense of foreign aid and humanitarian values.

Save the Children urges the Government of Canada to act decisively, warning delayed aid is causing further harm to children.

Toronto, May 20, 2025 – About 95,000 mothers supported by Save the Children may have to give birth without a skilled health worker present in the next 12 months putting themselves and their babies at risk, unless life-saving aid programmes continue, said Save the Children. [1] [2]

Toronto, May 14, 2025 – At least 55,000 children supported by Save the Children in Somalia [1] will lose access to lifesaving nutrition services by June, as aid cuts force 121 Save the Children-supported nutrition centres to close.

 Toronto, May, 12, 2025 – More than 93% of the children in Gaza – about 930,000 children – are at critical risk of famine, said Save the Children, as new data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the leading international authority measuring hunger crises, reveals a spiraling hunger catastrophe [1].    The war in Gaza and Israeli authorities' total siege on the entry of aid and goods have pushed families to take unimaginable measures to survive, says Save the Children. Without urgent action to end the siege and to allow food and medicine into Gaza, one million children are at risk of starvation, disease and ultimately death.   Save the Children staff members have received reports in recent days of families in northern Gaza resorting to desperate measures, including eating animal feed, expired flour and flour mixed with sand, out of desperation to survive.   A 30-year-old father, living in northern Gaza with his pregnant wife and two-year-old child, said:   “I don’t know how to feed my family. There’s no food. I have no choice but to eat things you would never imagine. It’s unfair. She’s weak (his daughter), constantly sick, and can’t get up. She has diarrhea. She’s in pain from hunger. My wife is going to lose our unborn child. “It’s desperate here - chaos. We don’t know what awaits us. No one is living a dignified life. Why is this happening to us?” A 25-year-old mother of four in northern Gaza, whose children were receiving treatment for malnutrition at Save the Children’s healthcare clinic during the brief pause in fighting, said:   “We know what hunger feels like - we’ve tasted death. Our children are just waiting their turn to die.”  Nothing has been allowed to enter Gaza - no food, water, fuel, or medicine - since Israeli authorities imposed a total siege on 2 March 2025. Almost everyone in Gaza depends on humanitarian aid, but with supplies cut off, people have been pushed to desperate measures to survive, while trucks loaded with food sit rotting at the borders. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and community kitchens across the strip have run out of food and been forced to halt operations.  Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, Ahmad Alhendawi, said:    “This is a deliberate humanitarian catastrophe. Children are being starved by design, under Israeli authorities' total siege. We have the food, we have the aid and we know how to treat malnutrition in children – what we don’t have is access. There is food, water, and medical aid ready to go, but it’s being blocked at the border while families are forced to eat animal feed and leaves, taking unimaginable and dehumanising measures to survive. This is not a crisis of supply; it’s a crisis of access. At any given moment in Gaza, a child, someone’s whole world, could be killed by bombs and bullets, starvation and disease. The international community must act now to open the crossings and deliver life-saving aid. We cannot stand by while an entire population is starved in plain sight.”  Starvation as a method of warfare is strictly prohibited under international law and is codified as a war crime. The denial of humanitarian assistance is also a violation of International Humanitarian Law. Save the Children is running a primary healthcare centre in Deir Al-Balah providing essential services to children, mothers and families. The collapse of the pause on March 18 has made it extremely difficult for our staff to deliver nutrition services to children and families, despite the high levels of malnutrition among children under the age of five. During the month of April, we were only able to screen 574 children for acute malnutrition compared to more than 10,500 children in January during the pause. Of the children aged under two years who were screened in April, more than one in five were found to have moderate acute malnutrition or severe acute malnutrition, requiring urgent treatment.   NOTES TO EDITORS [1] The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) provides a common scale for classifying the severity and magnitude of food shortage and acute malnutrition. According to the IPC report released today (12 May), almost all (93%) of Gaza’s 2.1 million people are already enduring “crisis levels” of hunger (IPC Phase 3) or worse. Among them, almost a quarter of a million people are facing catastrophic, “famine-like conditions”, while nearly half the population is in a state of “emergency” hunger.  

From Türkiye to the Philippines, we must defend and promote children’s rights and amplify their voices whenever possible.

Toronto, May 9, 2025 – At least 19 children were killed and 78 others injured in attacks across Ukraine in April, making it the deadliest month for children in nearly three years, Save the Children said.   Last month, at least 97 children were killed or injured in attacks in Ukraine, the highest number of child casualties reported in a single month since June 2022, when 98 children were killed or injured.   On 4 April, a missile attack in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, marked the deadliest single attack on children in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, according to UN verified data. The missile hit a residential neighborhood, striking a playground and nearby apartment buildings, killing a reported 18 people—including nine children—and injuring 75 others, among them 12 children. Many of the casualties occurred in the playground.  In response to the escalating toll on children and their families, Save the Children has been providing urgent assistance to families impacted by the missile strikes, including cash assistance to the families affected in Kryvyi Rih.   Mykhailo, the Cash and Voucher Assistance and Food Security and Livelihoods Coordinator, said:  “Sadly, the war continues to affect every corner of Ukraine — the shelling has not ceased, and civilians are bearing the heavy cost. Save the Children is there for families who have lost everything — their loved ones, their homes, their sense of security. Many have nowhere to go. It’s difficult to put these emotions into words: we see tears in the eyes of those affected, but also deep gratitude for the support they receive.”  Sonia Khush, Country Director for Save the Children in Ukraine, said:   “Despite statements and discussions we hear in the media, there has been no respite for children. On the contrary, we continue to see devastating reports of children being killed and injured — on playgrounds, near learning and recreation spaces, even in their beds at night. The rising number of casualties speaks louder than any words or declared intentions. Children need safety now. They must be protected — not tomorrow, not someday, but today. No child should have to plead for safety from violence and attacks — it is their fundamental right to live, grow, learn and thrive in peace, and it is our collective duty to uphold and protect that right.”   Save the Children calls for all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. Civilians and civilian objects, especially those impacting children such as homes, schools, and hospitals, are protected from attack, and all children must be protected from any violations of their rights. Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014 and has scaled up operations since the war escalated in February 2022. The organisation is working closely with multiple partners and has reached about 256,000 children with protection services by establishing a country-wide network of child-friendly spaces for children to play and communicate, as well as providing mental health and psychosocial support for children, parents and caregivers. The child rights organisation is also training teachers and social workers on psychological first aid (PFA), social and emotional learning (SEL), and basic Psychosocial Skills including self-care.  ENDS  Notes to editors:  ·       UN rights chief urges probe into Russian attack that killed nine children in Ukraine | UN News  ·       Ukraine - protection of civilians in armed conflict (April 2025)_ENG.pdf 

Toronto, May 7, 2025 – Almost a third of today’s five-year-olds – about 38 million children – will be spared a lifetime’s “unprecedented” exposure to extreme heat if the world meets the 1.5°C warming target by 2100, Save the Children said.

Toronto, May 5, 2025 — Children migrating through Mexico in search of safety are being met with alarming levels of violence, family separation, and uncertainty at the country’s northern border, according to a new study by Plan International and Save the Children in Mexico. The research, based on 155 interviews with migrant children and their caregivers across three of Mexico’s major border cities—Ciudad Juárez, Reynosa, and Tijuana—reveals that after fleeing violence, many children found themselves in overcrowded shelters, out of school and in unsafe neighborhoods alone, where they faced further dangers and continued to be denied their rights. While many of the children surveyed initially travelled with family or a loved one, the journey often resulted in painful separation. In Ciudad Juárez, nearly two in three children (63.5%) left home with a parent or guardian, but only about a third arrived in Mexico with someone by their side. This separation leaves children—especially girls—more vulnerable to violence, exploitation, trafficking, and forced recruitment by armed groups. “Organized crime has many ways of finding and grabbing you. There are many areas where it’s hard to run away if you’re trying to escape,” said José*, a 16-year-old unaccompanied boy interviewed in Ciudad Juárez. The number of unaccompanied children making the journey to Mexico has surged in recent years, jumping from nearly 69,500[1] in 2019 to more than 137,000 in 2023, driven by escalating violence, poverty, and climate-related displacement. Many of these children, especially girls, are subjected to sexual and gender-based violence, exploitation, and other dangers as they travel alone in search of safety. For many of these children, their journey does not end in safety once they reach Mexico’s northern border, but in further hardship. Interviews with the children reveal that they are often forced to live in unsafe conditions for months at a time. In Reynosa, for example, one in three girls interviewed had been living in displacement shelters for over six months, often confined to unsafe areas in high-risk areas, where even basic freedoms—like stepping outside—are restricted by fear of kidnapping. In Ciudad Juárez, children interviewed also described being forced to leave their homes to escape violence, only to encounter new forms of danger in overcrowded shelters and unsafe neighborhoods. “When someone was watching us or making us uncomfortable, we’d say we were going to get water or to the bathroom—just so we could step away or find a way not to come back,” said Estrella*, an 8-year-old girl from central Mexico, describing how she and other girls learned to protect themselves during their journey. The education among migrants at Mexico's northern border has also been severely disrupted. Nearly three-quarters (70.3%) of the children interviewed previously attended school, but now more than half (58.1%) are now no longer learning inside a classroom. Barriers such as administrative hurdles, security risks, and a lack of formal education in shelters are major factors. Additionally, discrimination and xenophobia in schools is worsening the situation, according to testimonies collected, because "the mothers, fathers and caregivers of the Mexican population do not want their children to live with children on the move." The research also found that the emotional toll on migrant children in these cities is immense, especially among those separated from their parents. Many struggle to understand why their parents are no longer with them or why they've been living in shelters for extended periods with little to no contact. Despite this and the distressing condition many face, access to mental health support for migrant children in these three cities was reported to be almost non-existent. Reena Ghelani, Chief Executive Officer of Plan International, said:  "This study has found that migrant children are not finding safety when they cross the border into Mexico —they’re finding more fear, more waiting and more lost time.  “No child should find themselves in this situation, especially after enduring such a perilous journey to find safety. They need support now – including protection, access to safe shelter, education and mental health care.  We are seeing families so desperate that children are being forced to consider returning to the very places they fled from. That should never be their only option." Fátima Andraca, Programmes and Humanitarian Director in Save the Children in Mexico, said: “Migrant and internally displaced girls face severe risks and are systematically denied their fundamental rights — including access to education and protection. Our joint study sheds light on the challenges these girls endure and presents actionable solutions to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting migrant children in Mexico.  “In times like these, the collective commitment of society is more important than ever. Together, we must ensure that every girl has the opportunity to thrive — no matter where she comes from or where she’s going.” In light of these findings, Plan International and Save the Children in Mexico are calling for an immediate and coordinated response. This includes strengthening child protection systems in border cities across Mexico, ensuring inclusive and safe access to education and mental health care, and providing dignified shelter arrangements that priorities the needs of children and adolescents—especially girls—fleeing violence and instability. Save the Children has been working in Mexico since 1973 with health and nutrition, education, and protection programmes for children on the move in the country. ENDS  NOTES TO EDITORS 

Save the Children to send first NGO maternal and baby specialist teams to disasters after WHO verification.

Toronto, April 29, 2025 — Save the Children sincerely congratulates the Right Honourable Mark Carney on his election win and re-appointment as Prime Minister of Canada. We look forward to working collaboratively with the Prime Minister and his new government to address the pressing challenges facing children worldwide and within Canada.

GSK Canada's Kevin Sauvé joined a seven-day trek up Mount Kenya to support children in crisis. The GSK Trek for Health melds corporate partnership with a personal commitment to global child health, raising funds for Save the Children and Amref Health Africa while showcasing how collective effort can drive life-changing impact.

Toronto, April 24, 2025 - More than 40,000 [1] people are living in tents and other makeshift shelters one month after Myanmar’s devastating earthquake with ongoing seismic activity making it impossible for them to return to their homes or start repairs, Save the Children said.

Toronto, April 23, 2025 – At least 110,000* severely acutely malnourished children supported by Save the Children in 10 countries could be left without access to life-saving ready-to-use emergency food and nutrition programmes as aid cuts hit supplies in coming months, according to a Save the Children analysis.

Toronto, April 17, 2025 - After 18 months of war, a staggering toll on civilians and aid workers, and now a six-week total siege, the humanitarian aid system in Gaza is facing total collapse with the CEOs of 12 major aid organisations making an urgent plea: let us do our jobs. A new humanitarian access survey of 43 international and Palestinian aid organisations working in Gaza found nearly all of them – 95% – have had to suspend or dramatically cut services since the ceasefire ended one month ago on 18 March, with widespread and indiscriminate bombing making it extremely dangerous to move around. The people of Gaza – particularly women and children – are paying the price. Families are living amongst the rubble of their destroyed homes.  Famine is not just a risk, but likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts of Gaza. The UN has warned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is the worst it has been in 18 months. Stripped of the means to keep people alive, hospitals have become morgues. More than 51,000 Palestinians have been reported killed. One of the last partially functioning hospitals, Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in northern Gaza, was bombed last Sunday. “This is one of the worst humanitarian failures of our generation. Every single person in Gaza is relying on humanitarian aid to survive. That lifeline has been completely cut off since a blockade on all aid supplies was imposed by Israeli authorities on 2 March. “We have supplies ready. We have trained medical staff. We have the expertise. What we don’t have is the access – or the guarantee by Israeli authorities that our teams can safely do their jobs. “Survival itself is now slipping out of reach and the humanitarian system is at breaking point,” the CEOs of the 12 aid organisations said in their joint statement. Twenty-four of the surveyed organisations reported increased movement restrictions in Gaza, impeding their ability to deliver aid.  Nineteen aid organisations reported having cargo stuck outside Gaza, totaling at least 9,000 pallets of aid supplies. Gaza now holds the disastrous record of being the deadliest place on earth for humanitarian workers. We cannot operate under fire or stay silent while our staff are killed. More than 400 aid workers and over 1,300 health workers have been reported killed in Gaza since October 2023, despite the requirement under international humanitarian law for humanitarian workers to be protected. The recent killing of 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, whose bodies were found buried in a mass grave triggered global outrage, but many violations and attacks go unreported. Despite hopes that the eight-week pause in hostilities would become a turning point, the violence against civilians and aid workers has only worsened. Since Israeli forces resumed bombardments, at least 14 organisations reported Israeli fire directly or indirectly hitting their staff or aid facilities. Every day, aid workers - the majority of whom are Palestinian - are targeted, detained, obstructed or killed. Just as every day, rules meant to protect civilians in war are ignored with impunity.  When our staff and partners, our convoys, our offices, our warehouses are shelled, the message is loud and clear: even lifesaving aid is no longer protected. This is unacceptable. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have proposed a new authorization mechanism for the delivery of aid in Gaza that the UN Secretary-General has described as “limiting aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour.” This mechanism would set a dangerous new global precedent and eliminate any remaining space to deliver aid independent of military and political motivations. New NGO visa and registration rules, based on vague criteria, will censor humanitarian reporting and prevent us from fulfilling our mandate. We call on all parties to guarantee the safety of our staff and to allow the safe, unfettered access of aid into and across Gaza through all entry points, and for world leaders to oppose further restrictions. We call for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure including hospitals, schools and shelters and the immediate restoration of basic services – water, electricity, and sanitation as required under international law. We call for the release of the hostages. We call for the release of all Palestinians arbitrarily detained. We call, yet again, resoundingly, for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool. Saving lives should not be controversial. Laws of war developed over centuries to govern conduct and protect civilians should not now be discarded.

Toronto, April 16, 2025 – Thousands of families have arrived injured, traumatized and with no food or water in the town of Tawila after journeys of up to  70km (40 miles) on foot to flee attacks in Sudan’s Zamzam and Al Shouk camps, Save the Children  said. Many of the new arrivals, including thousands of children, were already severely malnourished as people in Zamzam – the largest camp for internally displaced people in Sudan - have been living in famine-like conditions for nearly eight months with a siege crippling food supplies and basic services. Save the Children staff in Tawila said many of the new arrivals reported witnessing or experiencing horrific physical violence with some children separated from their parents in the chaos and now suffering from extreme mental trauma. Thousands of families are sheltering in open areas or in overcrowded schools and public buildings and exposed to daily temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius. Most of the displaced families fled without food or water and are now entirely dependent on humanitarian aid, putting children, pregnant and breastfeeding women at severe risk of malnutrition. Violent attacks in North Darfur’s Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps over the weekend killed more than 300 people, including more than 20 children, and displaced nearly 70,000 families to El Fasher and Tawila, with more than half of those children. Save the Children is providing emergency support in Tawila to newly displaced families in urgent need of shelter, basic household items, and blankets. Health facilities in Tawila were already stretched thin before the recent arrivals and are unable to cope with the sheer number of patients, with many people arriving injured, traumatized and sick. A shortage of latrines and limited access to clean water is increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.  Francesco Lanino, the Deputy Country Director for Save the Children Sudan, said:  “This is yet another disaster for families in Sudan who have faced two years of conflict that have caused the world’s largest displacement crisis. There is dire need for urgent food distributions, including ready-to-eat meals and nutritional support to curb malnutrition. Provision of shelter and other non-food items is paramount for the new arrivals who are sheltering in schools in open spaces. “Additionally, there is an urgent need to support or establish mobile health clinics and ensure the availability of essential medicines, first aid supplies, and basic maternal and child health services. With such rapid displacement comes the real risk of waterborne diseases and therefore the need to install additional water sources or rehabilitate existing ones, and construct emergency latrines so as to keep waterborne diseases at bay. Hygiene kits containing soap, sanitary materials, and other essentials are needed to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks. “We also need to be able to provide mental health and psychosocial support particularly for children and caregivers who have witnessed traumatic events such as killing and maiming of their family members.”  Save the Children is mobilizing pre-positioned stocks of medical supplies and essential relief aid including ready-to-use therapeutic food for malnourished children, hygiene materials and basic household item to support families and children in Tawila. Save the Children is urgently calling on the international community to take meaningful and urgent political action to address this crisis, for an immediate ceasefire and progress towards a lasting peace agreement. Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and provides programming for children and families affected by conflict, displacement, extreme poverty and hunger.  Ends

Toronto, April 16, 2025 – More than 416,000 children in Syria are now at significant risk of severe malnutrition following the sudden suspension of foreign aid that forced the closure of one third of Save the Children’s life-saving nutrition activities across the country.

Toronto, April 15, 2025 – One child every 10 seconds on average has been forced to flee their homes since the conflict began in Sudan two years ago, according to new analysis from Save the Children. Sudan was already facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises before conflict erupted in the capital, Khartoum, in April 2023, and the country is now facing the largest child displacement crisis globally, with over 6.5 million children uprooted from their homes [1] [2]. More than 12.6 million people are currently displaced by the conflict in Sudan – or one in three people [3]. To mark two years of the conflict, Save the Children commissioned Sudanese illustrator Shiroug Idris – who was herself displaced by the conflict - to highlight the impact of conflict on children’s lives.

Toronto, April 13, 2025. The Sudan INGO Forum is outraged by the brutal killing of civilians and nine aid workers in ZamZam camp, Abu Shouk camp and Al Fasher, North Darfur.

It’s hard to know what to tell your children after experiencing an earthquake, yet this is the discussion that parents across Myanmar and Thailand are now facing.

Toronto, April 9, 2025 – At least five children with cholera in South Sudan have died on an arduous journey to seek medical treatment, after aid cuts forced their local health services to close in the middle of a major outbreak of the deadly disease, Save the Children said.