As Hunger Worsens, New Research Shows What Protects Children

“Imagine being a child forced to run from violence again and again, sleeping hungry for days, not hours, and waking each morning unsure where safety might be found. In this report, children speak with heartbreaking clarity about the realities they are surviving, and the futures they still dare to imagine… The question is not whether these dreams are achievable but whether there is political will and the courage to make them real." — Amanda Rives, Senior Director of Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy and Partnerships at World Vision International

11 June – As funding declines and hunger rises, new research from World Vision, in partnership 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, being school dropouts, and family separation.

Funding cuts since 2025 have left the majority of humanitarian needs unmet, with displaced families among the hardest hit. More than 64% of surveyed households rely on assistance to meet basic needs. According to WFP, 318 million people across 68 countries are experiencing acute food insecurity, with 41.1 million in Emergency or worse (IPC/CH Phase 4+).  

“Sometimes we only eat once a day… when our parents don’t find work, they get even more desperate.” — Child, Colombia

The study draws on nearly 3,500 household surveys across eight countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and shows that when assistance dwindles, families are pushed into harmful survival strategies. 

Following cuts in assistance, children face rising hunger, protection risks, and disrupted education. The report found that among the people surveyed:

• 57% had at least one household member go to sleep hungry in the past month
• 21% reported irregular school attendance among their children
• 11% reported child–parent separation.

In addition, children belonging to households experiencing higher food insecurity are seven times more likely to be forced into child marriage. But when households build self-reliance, children’s well-being improves dramatically.

Key findings show self-reliance contributes to:

• 56% lower odds of children begging for food or money;
• 38% lower odds of children leaving school to work;
• 33% lower odds of child marriage; and
• 31% lower odds of family separation.

“When an adult is unemployed, there is too much suffering in the family . . . When an adult can work, the situation for children improves.” — Boy, Burundi.

The report calls for urgent action across governments, donors, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the private sector to:

• Protect refugee rights and expand access to work, education, movement, social protection and documentation
• Provide sufficient, quality funding for integrated humanitarian programming
• Collaborate across the humanitarian–development–peace nexus to build self-reliance and child well-being.

The report findings will be shared during a closed-door webinar, organised by World Vision, in partnership with WFP, on 11 June 2026, ahead of the Annual Session of the WFP Executive Board.

The findings reinforce World Vision’s global ENOUGH Campaign, which seeks to end child hunger by driving investments in child‑centred, climate‑resilient food systems and bridging humanitarian response with long-term solutions so families can build self‑reliance and children have enough to eat, learn, and thrive.

“The scale of this crisis needs to be matched with decisive, adequately funded action. Governments and donors must act with urgency and flexible support so children and their families can move from survival to stability and hope," said Amanda.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact: 
Katie Fixter
Media Manager
Email: katie_fixter@wvi.org 

Download the full report here.

About the Report
This report draws on 3,494 household surveys, 32 focus group discussions with men, women, boys, and girls, and 45 key informant interviews with community leaders and other stakeholders across eight countries. Most household survey respondents were women (74%), while 88% of household heads were men. 

Among those surveyed, 36% were host community households, 30% were refugees, 20% were internally displaced people (IDPs), and 14% were stateless people, returnees, or other vulnerable groups. 

About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.   For more information, please visit www.wvi.org