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122 million Refugee children at risk - World Vision blames aid cuts for surge in child labour, early marriage, school dropouts, and hunger
- 58% of those in surveyed countries are now experiencing severe hunger
- Children are experiencing a dangerous surge in child labour, forced marriage, school dropouts, and child trafficking
- Cuts to food assistance and humanitarian aid are having immediate consequences
Tuesday, 17 June 2025
In the lead up to World Refugee Day on 20 June a new report by World Vision reveals the devastating toll that humanitarian funding cuts are taking on displaced families and children across 13 crisis-affected countries. Titled “Hunger, Harm, and Hard Choices,” the report highlights a dangerous surge in hunger, child labour, forced marriage, school dropouts, and child trafficking - much of it concentrated among people who have already been forced to flee their homes and now rely on ever-dwindling humanitarian support.
The study, conducted between January and April 2025, surveyed more than 5,000 refugee, internally displaced and host family households, finding that that 58% are now experiencing severe hunger, with nearly half saying they have gone entire days without food. In South Sudan, a staggering 97% of families reported that someone in their household had gone a full day and night without eating anything in the past month. Cuts to food assistance were directly linked to this suffering, as families who had their food rations reduced were over five times more likely to face severe food insecurity.
“This is a humanitarian catastrophe hiding in plain sight,” said Amanda Rives, Senior Director of Disaster Management at World Vision International. “These are families who have lost everything to conflict or disaster. Now we’re taking away the one thing they had left: life-saving food assistance. It’s unconscionable.”
Hunger is also forcing children out of school and into exploitative situations. Many are being made to work, beg, or even enter into early marriages to help their families survive. One mother from a refugee camp in Uganda said: “my daughter wanted to become a teacher. Now, she spends her days searching for scraps to sell at the market. She's 12.”
World Vision’s findings show that children in food-insecure households are eight times more likely to be engaged in child labour and nearly six times more likely to be married early. The likelihood of children being forced to beg increased by more than nine times, and the risk of exposure to violence rose nearly fivefold. The psychological toll is also immense: 38% of families reported seeing increased anxiety, depression, and behavioural changes in their children. Meanwhile, nearly half of all parents said their children could no longer attend school regularly because they had to help find food or earn money.
“We are not just witnessing a hunger crisis. We are witnessing the systematic dismantling of childhood,” adds Rives. “We are seeing children forced out of classrooms into dangerous work, early marriage, and exploitation simply because they don’t have enough to eat. A child who is hungry cannot learn. A child who is working to feed their family cannot grow. A child who is married at 13 has had her future stolen before it began.”
“What these families need is not charity - they need justice. They need consistent, reliable support that acknowledges their dignity and humanity. We must stop rationing compassion.”
There are 122.6 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, and World Vision is working in many of those communities to provide life-saving assistance for children and their families in the long-term. Uganda, for example, hosts the largest population of refugees in Africa (1.7 million people), and World Vision is providing resilience training in the country to help communities withstand crises, including strengthening livelihood options, savings groups, sustainable agricultural systems, and more.
World Vision is not just present for the initial crisis either. Post-crisis rehabilitation and recovery, long-term development, and resilience training are all priorities for World Vision working within these communities, from rebuilding infrastructure to community empowerment and more.
“If we fail to act now,” warned Rives, “we will not only lose lives—we will lose the future of an entire generation.”
World Vision’s Children’s Emergency Fund is the mechanism which members of the public who want to show their support to refugee children caught up in this crisis can use. The Children’s Emergency Fund enables World Vision to direct emergency aid to children where the needs are the greatest, and also help communities build resilience to future crises.
ENDS
For more information, case studies, assets, and interviews, please contact
Sam Bishop: sam.bishop@worldvision.org.uk
Spokespeople available for interviews.
Editors Notes:
At World Vision, our focus is on helping the world’s most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. For 75 years, we have worked together with communities – of all faiths and none – even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith. Thanks to our supporters globally, we work in almost 100 countries and have changed the lives of over 200 million children in the past five years alone.
When you give to World Vision, you know your donations will be well spent, for the greatest impact. We always work alongside communities, with a focus on the most vulnerable children and families helping them overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. So, you know your donations will go to the children in greatest need.