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.

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.

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

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

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.

In northwest Syria, displaced children face hunger, lost identity, and no education—while shrinking aid threatens a generation’s future.

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.

In South Sudan, girls like Shufa are forced from school into labour—hunger and displacement push millions of children’s futures to the brink.

After leaving home for work and returning exhausted and discouraged, 16-year-old Aklima found a new path through education, family support, and a sewing machine that helped her rebuild her future.

In Cox’s Bazar, girls like Win risk losing education as poverty, insecurity, and funding cuts threaten to pull them out of school.