Millions of the world’s children are caught in a permacrisis of conflict, climate-related disasters, economic uncertainty and humanitarian emergencies. Currently, a staggering 1 in 5 children are fleeing or living in conflict zones such as Gaza and Ukraine and 1 in 4 children under five globally are facing hunger. Now, just when children most need support, institutions that have long protected the world’s most vulnerable are stepping back.
“Announced and anticipated funding cuts will limit UNICEF’s ability to reach millions of children in dire need,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “These cuts by numerous donor countries follow two years of aid reductions at a time of unprecedented need. Millions of children are affected by conflict, need to be vaccinated against deadly diseases such as measles and polio, and must be educated and kept healthy.”
“As needs continue to outpace resources, UNICEF has consistently brought efficiencies and innovations to our work, and we have stretched every contribution to reach vulnerable children. But there is no way around it, these new cuts are creating a global funding crisis that will put the lives of millions of additional children at risk.”
Funding cuts threaten the lives of the most vulnerable children
Initial analyses by UNICEF indicate that at least 14 million children are expected to face heightened risk of life-threatening severe malnutrition in 2025 because of recent and anticipated global funding cuts. Almost 28,000 UNICEF-supported outpatient therapeutic centres for the treatment of malnutrition are at risk — and in some cases, have already stopped operating.
We have been forced to suspend or cut back or drastically reduce many of our programmes
“Over the last decades, we have made impressive progress in reducing child malnutrition globally because of a shared commitment and sustained investment,” said Russell. “Since 2000, the number of stunted children under the age of five has fallen by 55 million, and the lives of millions of severely malnourished children have been saved. But steep funding cuts will dramatically reverse these gains and put the lives of millions more children at risk."
Famine now gripping at least five areas in Sudan
In March, UNICEF Ireland’s Executive Director Peter Power travelled to Sudan, where almost two years of civil war have created a dire situation on the ground. “The independent body charged with classifying famine has declared five areas of the country in famine,” said Power. “That means children are dying every day. An estimated 3.2 million people in Sudan – over half the population of Ireland – are now suffering from malnutrition.”
“Last year alone, UNICEF treated over 560,000 children for life-threatening Severe Acute Malnutrition,” Power continued. “The cuts that have already been announced and which are anticipated for humanitarian organisations will limit our ability to reach millions of children and families in dire need, both here in Sudan and around the world.”
Stockouts of lifesaving Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food are imminent
On a recent visit to the Afar region in northern Ethiopia, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden witnessed what happens when budgets are slashed without warning. In Afar, a region prone to recurrent drought and floods, only 7 of the 30 mobile health and nutrition units supported by UNICEF are currently in operation, a direct result of the global funding crisis. These mobile units are critical to supporting children with vital assistance including treatment of severe wasting, vaccinations and essential medicines.
“We estimate that without new sources of funding, UNICEF will run out of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to treat children suffering from severe wasting in May — which could have dire consequences for the nearly an estimated 74,500 children in Ethiopia who require treatment each month," said van der Heijden.
Funding cuts rob children in conflict zones of their last lifeline
Cork native Ettie Higgins is the UNICEF Deputy Representative in Lebanon, where more than half of children under the age of two experience food poverty in the eastern part of the country. "We have been forced to suspend or cut back or drastically reduce many of our programmes and that includes nutrition programs," Higgins said.
The number of children facing food shortages in Lebanon's densely populated east has more than doubled in the past two years, according to a February 2025 UNICEF report examining the toll of 14 months of escalated hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
UNICEF warns that by April over 500,000 children and their families risk losing critical subsistence cash support from UN agencies, stripping the most vulnerable of their last lifeline.
UNICEF is committed to staying and delivering for children
Even a brief halt of UNICEF’s critical lifesaving activities risks the lives of millions of children at a time when needs are already acute. Globally, UNICEF estimates that more than 213 million children in 146 counties and territories will require humanitarian assistance in 2025.
“We are determined to stay and deliver for the world’s children – particularly at a time of unprecedented need," van der Heijden said. "And UNICEF is committed to collaborate with our partners to ensure global humanitarian and development efforts remain efficient, effective and accountable."
When others are stepping back, who is going to step forward for children?
For philanthropic individuals and families, supporting UNICEF is an opportunity to step forward when others are stepping back and help tackle these global challenges for children. As a United Nations agency, UNICEF can deliver impact at scale and has a unique convening power with governments, NGOs and local partners to mobilise urgent humanitarian support and influence sustainable change for children.
Transparency is also crucial for UNICEF; for three consecutive assessments, the Aid Transparency Index has ranked UNICEF among the top performing development agencies.
Flexible funding without restrictions is the most effective and valuable tool to ensure UNICEF’s presence in over 190 countries and territories and help deliver equitably on its global mission ‘for every child’.
Reach out to the UNICEF Philanthropy Team to discuss how you can step forward and invest in supporting the world’s most vulnerable children.
See www.unicef.ie/philanthropy for more.