De-Escalating Border Conflict: World Vision Urges Continued Protection for Children

Bruno Atieh, the UN Representative for Humanitarian Affairs and Sr. Policy and External Engagement Advisor, World Vision, reflects on the urgent need to protect children affected by armed conflict, highlighting the importance of preserving humanitarian access and defending the integrity of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) mandate. Principled partnerships and evidence-based advocacy is vital to ensure children's rights and safety remain central to global humanitarian and policy efforts.

Children in Haiti face hunger, violence, and displacement as armed groups tighten control and essential services collapse. Urgent action is needed.

After a traumatic incident involving sexual abuse allegations rocked Masase High School, the community—supported by World Vision Zimbabwe and local authorities—is coming together to rebuild trust and strengthen protection for its learners.

To rethink how to effectively address food crises and showcase how the humanitarian system can update and re-imagine itself to meaningfully contribute to reversing the trends of acute hunger and reduce needs, ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS) had a side event focused on People-Driven Responses: The Effective Way to Combat Food Crises. World Vision, represented by Amanda Rives Argeñal, discussed the transformative potential of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), as a preferred modality to meet recipients’ specific needs, specifically in protracted food crises, while offering flexibility, dignity, and cost effectiveness. 

In 2024, we reached 17.9 million people, including 9.5 million children, and responded to over 16 emergencies across the region. From food security and health to protection and education, our work has brought tangible relief and hope to families affected by crisis.

Child-focused aid is shrinking despite rising global crises. Investing in children is urgent, smart, and essential for a stable, equitable future.

This article highlights how, following several months of interruption caused by the suspension of USAID funding, the GAINS project, dedicated to nutrition, food security, and sustainable development, is resuming operations in the Kasaï province. This restart marks a moment of relief for field teams and beneficiary communities, who rely heavily on the programme to improve child health and local resilience. However, the article also underlines the severe consequences of budget cuts on vulnerable families, issuing a pressing call to the international community for more sustainable financial engagement. Without this, the progress achieved so far risks being undone, to the detriment of the most fragile populations.