Explore World Vision’s latest policy brief on families returning to Ukraine and Syria. Discover the complex trade-offs between safety, reunification, and child wellbeing.

New WV policy brief reveals that long after displacement ends, many children continue to face insecurity, hunger, disrupted education and psychological distress.

In the Shadow of Hunger: The Power of Self-Reliance to Protect Children and Restore Hope

As funding declines and hunger rises, new research from World Vision, in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), shows that household self‑reliance—or the ability to provide for basic needs without external assistance, protects children from hunger, child labour, early marriage, school dropout, and family separation.

Returning home has not ended displacement for many Syrian families. Children continue to face poverty, disrupted education, protection risks, and psychological distress as communities struggle to recover from years of conflict. Sustained support is essential to help families rebuild their lives and futures.

A thought leadership piece on refugee children growing up in long-term displacement and why support must go beyond survival to opportunity and dignity.

World Vision MEER's latest policy brief sends a clear message: returning home does not automatically mean children are safe, supported or able to thrive.

Highlights rising risks for refugees, especially children, including limited services, disrupted learning and protection concerns, urging urgent coordinated action.

Resilience in emergencies helps protect children from hunger and crisis, so they can survive today and build a safer future tomorrow.

For many Ukrainian families, return has brought renewed hope, reconnecting children with their homes, friends, and communities. However, the realities of war persist. Children continue to live with air raids, insecurity, and ongoing mental health challenges, even after returning.