New analysis spotlights urgent need to better fund child protection in conflict

The last two years have seen marked increases in conflict and humanitarian disasters. From Afghanistan and Ukraine to Somalia and Ethiopia, millions of children in regions around the world are being significantly affected and facing dire consequences. The international community must make sure adequate resources are invested to ensure their safety and well-being.

A new brief by the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, Save the Children and partners has revealed that a shortfall of almost $650 million in child protection is affecting 18 million vulnerable children living in the world’s worst crises.

This briefing sets out an analysis on financing for child protection in humanitarian response plans for 2021 and 2022.

The brief was presented to international leaders at the Oslo Conference on Protecting Children in Armed Conflict co-hosted by the Government of Norway, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Save the Children and UNICEF, to encourage action to safeguard children in conflict settings.

The key findings indicate that:

There is an increase in overall funding for child protection programmes, reaching $204 million in 2022. But it has been inadequate in meeting the requited $795 million, especially leaving a shortfall of $650 million which is drastically affecting children in humanitarian and conflict settings.
The main source of child protection funding in humanitarian settings is donor governments (75% of all child protection funding) and is predominantly channeled through UN agencies and international NGOs, with only 2% directly received by national and local actors.
Unless efforts are stepped up, the world is looking at a $ 1 billion funding gap for child protection programmes in conflict by 2026.

The brief makes the call for sustainable, multi-year funding for child protection within UN-coordinated humanitarian and refugee response plans and urges action by governments and other donors to bridge the gap.

Read the full brief here.

End Violence’s Together to #ENDviolence policy proposal to protect children from violence in humanitarian settings calls on decision-makers to prioritise child protection in all humanitarian response plans, and urges governments and donors to ensure funding to meet the escalating protection needs of children in crisis. Explore.