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.

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.

Last year, our programmes impacted more than 5.8 million people, including 3.2 million vulnerable children and families across East Asia.

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

4.2 million returnees are currently living in Ukraine, including 1.55 million people – 37% of all returnees – in frontline areas where active conflict is ongoing, raising urgent concerns that for millions of children, “going home” does not yet mean reaching safety, World Vision warns.

Following severe flooding in Fungurume, World Vision and its partners provided emergency assistance to 260 affected families and educational support to 100 children. The intervention delivered essential household items, helped sustain access to education, and contributed to broader health and WASH efforts aimed at reducing cholera risks and supporting community recovery.

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.

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.

When the Zambia Institute of Public Relations and Communications announced its 2025 awards, World Vision Zambia walked away with First Prize in the Best Digital Media Campaign category — recognition earned not in boardrooms, but in the communities where the real work happens. The award reflects a year of deliberate, story-led communications that placed children at the centre of every message, every image, and every decision about what to say and how to say it.